Kara's Dilemma
by Carmsies
Summary: What if Kara's pod was programed to offer Kara information via subliminal interface so that during the time it takes to transport Kara to Earth she is educated and informed of what's she's getting into and ready to undertake her mission to provide and protect Kal-El? How will this affect the world around her and the people who love her. -edited previous 2 chapters too
1. Chapter 1

Summary: What if Kara's pod was programed to offer Kara information via subliminal interface so that during the time it takes to transport Kara to Earth she is educated and informed of what's she's getting into and ready to undertake her mission to provide and protect Kal-El. What they did not account for is the time she spent in the phantom zone where the on-board computer continued the lessons not only covering languages, customs (observed from Krypton) but also information about Krypton's technology and science.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the manipulations of certain aspects of the DC Verse to create my story. Supergirl, Superman and other recognizable characters is owned by DC comics and the production companies who has the licenses to make the comics, books, movies and shows we love.

Summary: What if Kara's pod was programed to offer Kara information via subliminal interface so that during the time it takes to transport Kara to Earth she is educated and informed of what's she's getting into and ready to undertake her mission to provide and protect Kal-El. What they did not account for is the time she spent in the phantom zone where the on-board computer continued the lessons not only covering languages, customs (observed from Krypton) but also information about Krypton's technology and science.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the manipulations of certain aspects of the DC Verse to create my story. Supergirl, Superman and other recognizable characters is owned by DC comics and the production companies who has the licenses to make the comics, books, movies and shows we love.

Kara's Dilemma

Chapter One

Krypton was a world of many wonders. It once was a paradise and a place of abundant resources. However, wars have torn its surface apart and it now lay a wasteland compared to its former glory. Despite all the tragedy that has happened upon its surface it was still a world that has reached its peak before it's fall. It has eradicated poverty, hunger, disease, and illnesses. It has mastered the power of the sun and the atoms to safely provide for their daily needs. Upon its' many plains, peaks, and valleys lay a society of perfect genetic beings. Genetic manipulations have been taken to its pinnacle and while cloning has been outlawed ,the people of Krypton has learn to encode the genetic code of their children so that each person knows their purpose and is willing to contribute for the improvement of their fellow men. Technologically Krypton is several centuries ahead of Earth's current capabilities. They have mastered many things we can only dream about but despite all of their advancements, they are still subject to the weakness of the human condition and to the whims of fate as evidenced by the planet's destruction and Kara's dilemma.

Krypton's society is based upon a guild system. The guilds offers up a candidate who is then part of the governing council. Each of the guild is composed multiple houses with each house specializing in a particular aspect of guild life. Each member of their society has an opportunity to pursue a career in anyof the guilds but with the help of genetic engineering each person has a predilection for a particular guild and this this predisposition is often dictated by the family from which they hail from. Kara Zor-El was the beloved daughter of Zor-El and Alura. She grew up surrounded by the many wonders of Krypton and by love of her family, which includes her beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins. Blessed to have been born to a family of wealth and means she was afforded the best possible start in the genetic lottery maybe more so than a typical Kryptonian. The El family, led by her father and uncle Jor-El, is one of the leading families focused on invention of new fields of science and technology. The Ze family, her mother's family, on the other hand is the premier family whose many members are known in their historical archives for their contribution in military advancement and strategy. The Ze family also has a large contingent that participates in law creation and enforcement. She was born with the predisposition to pursue both options (highly unusual, it is normal to have only one predisposition) and the bright and sunny optimism that seeks to make her parents proud.

The simplicity of her tranquil life began to fall apart a few years before Krypton exploded. Kara has always been an inquisitive child and her parents endeavored to keep her mind occupied but with their busy schedule she is often left to her own resources or under the watch of the KELEX droid unit they have in their household. Kara's Aunt Astra usually seeks out Kara whenever she had the opportunity to see if the youngling was doing all right. Astra spent many nights teaching Kara about the stellar bodies that can be seen in the night sky. She was also the one to fill Kara's head with tales of adventures that can be had amongst them. As a member of the Kryptonian military force and often spending months at a time onboard one of the few starships in Krypton's orbit Astra's stories were far more exciting than the tales her parents tell her about their work day. Kara adored Astra so she was understandably heartbroken when her aunt stopped visiting.

Kara was not exactly sure what occurred only that the night after her 9th birthday and her aunt's late night visit it was as if she just disappeared off the face of Krypton never to seen again. Alura, her mother told her that Aunt Astra on a special mission from the council onboard one of their starships and she is out amongst the stars exploring the space beyond. While her mother's explanation is certainly possible something within Kara knew that if her aunt was leaving for a lengthy mission she would have come by personally and said goodbye to her before leaving, just like she has done in the past. There was also something in Alura's melancholy face that told Kara that there was more to the story. Deep inside Kara's heart, she knew that something must have happened to her Aunt, something so awful that neither her mother nor her father can bare to tell her the truth.

The following year was a year filled with tragedy and unrest. Over the previous five years, Krypton has suffered a handful of devastating earthquakes but over the following year leading to her 10th birthday the frequency and severity of these earthquakes and abnormal weather phenomena has increased. Kara's father has spent more and more time in the science guild chambers and with Uncle Jor-El.

Her mother seem to spend more time with Aunt Lara who by some quirk of fate has become pregnant similar to the methods of childbirths before the birthing matrices were developed. Uncle Jor-El petitioned the governing council and the science guild not terminate her pregnancy citing an experiment for possible methods of genetic manipulation that may still be available to them should the birthing matrices fail in the future. A possibility that is not unfounded for the previous year a whole batch of youngling were lost due to an earthquake around one of the main matrix facilities.

The only highlight Kara can recall from that year was the birth of her little cousin Kal-El. He was a born with a healthy tuft of black hair and crystal clear blue eyes not too dissimilar to her own blue orbs. Kara fell in love with him the moment she saw him and always asked her parents for permission to visit with Kal after her daily sessions at the academy.

It was the night before the Argos City Liberty Celebration but the atmosphere in the El family compound was anything but festive. Over the past few months, the tension within the household have risen to almost unbearable levels. Jor-El and Zor-El bickered daily while their wives tried their very best to keep the peace. Kara sought Kal-El's presence as a way to escape the growing tensions. After the evening repast, Kara was summoned by her father to join him at her uncle's laboratory in the lower sub-levels. Upon arrival, she noted that new tunnel has been added with a large gateway in the end. She also noted that large section of the laboratory is now occupied by two pods similar to ones used for interplanetary travel. These pods however looked heavily modified. Some of the modifications Kara can identify others are completely foreign to her.

Kara learned that night of the eventual demise of her planet. She learned of the plan her father and uncle has concocted that involved Kal and herself. She was informed that over the past few years the council has been aware of the dangers of Krypton's core destabilizing. She also learned how the science guild, and the El family specifically, launched numerous drones in an effort to find a new home for the citizens of Krypton and how they have located a few possible options, one being a planet called Earth under a yellow sun in one of the outer spirals of their galaxy. They told her how despite Jor-El's warning and the efforts of many other citizens they have been overruled by the council and their pleas to leave the planet and to establish a new colony elsewhere have been denied. Intent on saving their families they pulled together all the resources their great house can muster in secret and constructed the two pods behind her. They are equipped with newest technology developed to keep her and Kal in a state of suspended animation until their arrival on Earth. She was also informed that the KELEX AI they have included is equipped with an advance-learning matrix to teach her what she may need to know on her new home.

Kara's eyes filled with tears as she listened to her father's words. Each moment that passed filled her being with fear and sadness. She wanted to go to her friends' homes to warn them but she knew that if she did so she will be condemning her father and uncle of going against a governing council ruling, which could land them in the Phantom Zone. Zor-El saw the pain and confusion in his daughter's eyes and gathered her into his arms. He pulled her tight and as the young girl sobbed into his arms, he whispered into her ear how proud he is of her and how happy he is to know that she will continue. He tells her how he wants her to be happy and to take care of her little cousin, Kal. It took a few moments before Kara's tears finally began to slow and she slowly pulled back from her father arms and gave him a kiss on the cheek as she often did before bedtime. She wanted to tell him that she will keep making him proud but before she could their whole compound began to shake. The door at the end of the laboratory opened and Alura and Lara came in along with a one-year-old Kal in her arms. Alura ran for Kara immediately and pulled her daughter towards one of the pods as Lara and Jor-El headed for the other one. Zor-El ran to a nearby console frantically working and shouting at the others to hurry and that they were out of time.

Kara was quickly pushed into one of the pods. Her mother hurried pulled the restraining harness over her head and in the urgency and chaos of the moment it did not really register with Kara that this is it. There are the last moments she will probably spend with her parents. She tried to disengage the safety harness around her but Alura's hands stopped her. Kara's tears streamed down her face as she listened to her mother's words. She begged to be able to stay but the choice was taken from her when her father came over to pull her mother away from the pod while quickly sealing the hatch from the outside panel. Kara frantically banged on the sealed hatch as the engines behind her engaged, she was hurled towards the sky, and away from the only home she has ever known.

Kara's journey to her new home was supposed to take around two to three Earth years. Years she will spend in suspended animation to reduce the trauma of traveling for so long. During the travel process, an AI was supposed to engage her subconscious to teach her. They had a database of information gathered by surveillance drones that can help her survive and thrive on Earth so that upon her arrival she will be better equipped to protect and provide for Kal-El. Unfortunately as stated before, Fate intervened and instead of a two year journey it took Kara the better part of two and half decades to reach Earth. The KELEX AI system, which is a limited AI, did its job, which was to teach Kara and teach her it did. Not only did it teach Kara most of the major languages spoken and written on Earth. It taught her about Earth's financial systems and technological basics. Once those topics were exhausted it proceeded to teach her the lessons she would have may been slated for her based on her genetic disposition and based on traditional familial roles of the Ze and El families on Krypton.

Upon arrival on Earth Kara was heavily disoriented. Her introduction to Clark, as Kal is now known, was both freeing and heartbreaking. She was relieved that she didn't have to face this unknown challenge of raising her infant cousin but also the heartbreaking realization that she has failed in the final task that her family has assigned to her before she could even attempt it. A fully-grown Clark stood as a reminder that her purpose that she was holding on to help sustain her and help keep her mind off her monumental grief is now gone. Clark is a grown man. A man who has recently undertaken the mantle of a hero, and has absolutely no need of her protection or help.

Floundering and grieving her first few weeks on Earth were spent in silence and confusion. She refused to speak any English and responded to any queries in Kryptonese because she knew that once she spoke English then it would cement the concept that her world is truly gone. Clark was unaware of the educational procedure that Kara has undergone tried his best to communicate with Kara using his very limited grasp of the Kryptonian language. From his pathetic efforts, Kara began to grasp the possible dangers that she may encounter in her new home. She soon realized that the information provided by the KELEX system is not only heavily flawed but also very outdated. The outdated information is very confusing when compared to her new reality and after a few embarrassing conversations with Clark she realized that if she didn't limit the amount of information she discloses the potential fallout of what her advance knowledge can bring about could be devastating not only for herself but also for Clark.

This decision was further emphasized when Kara and Clark was attacked by a sub-sect of a secret group run by one of the many villains after Clark shortly after her arrival. Clark lives in a small apartment and he offered Kara access to his fortress of solitude so that she may learn about current Earth culture. Determined to help Clark fight crime she used her technological know-how and her access and created a computer system that while fairly primitive has similar to ones used to on Krypton unfortunately her efforts and inquiries on the world wide web caught the attention of the villain which led to the attack. Fearing for her safety Clark emphasized that she must be more careful in the future. She must never ever call attention to herself for this can only lead to bad things. Shaken at the thought of losing his only blood relative, Clark sought the assistance of Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers to help with raising Kara.

Kara was heartbroken to learn that Kal, sorry Clark, intended to leave her with the Danvers. She listened as Clark tried to tell her that she needs to go but she could not understand that this was not punishment because on Krypton family was everything. Banishment from your family was a harsh punishment reserved for those who has betrayed and hurt their family and their companions. Kara begged him to let her stay with him. She promised never to experiment again, never tamper with alien technology and to use only what Earth has as long as she can stay with him. She swore that she would not call attention to herself again but Clark's limited Kryptonian knowledge worked against him and he did not understand Kara's pain or fear.

Clark's mind is resolute that he is doing the best he can for his cousin and he thoroughly convinced that keeping Kara due to the dangers inherent in being Superman is too much of a risk to the young girl despite her quickly developing powers. Clark also was sure that he is making the right choice for everyone involved and that the Danvers' home would be a better environment for Kara to grow up in since the Danvers would be able to offer her a "normal" childhood while she learned how to control her powers. He had full confidence in Jeremiah and Eliza who helped him learn and control his powers. Jeremiah is also the only other person Clark knew who spoke Kryptonese with any fluency because he learned the language along with Clark when Clark first discovered his ship and the technology within.

Clark turned her over to the Danvers and without another word, for fear of falling apart and giving in to Kara's tears, flew off leaving a hysterically crying Kara behind. Kara retreated to one of the corners of the living room closest to the window facing Clark's departure point hoping that her cousin will turn around and return for her but when he didn't come back Kara's emotional pain began to override her conscious mind. Her emotional turmoil has triggered an overload of her super senses and she reeled from her emotional pain as well as the increased input and inability to control her senses. She collapsed to her knees and curled into herself in an effort to shut out everything around her. Jeremiah approached and tried to offer solace but his entreaties went unheard in the cacophony within her mind.

Alex watched from the entryway into the living room as Kara cried out and begged in Kryptonese for her cousin to come back, to not abandon her here and to please take her with him. She is the perfect image of abject misery and pain. A sight that affected Alex deeply. Alex is a certified genius in her own right has an amazing capacity for learning languages learned Kryptonese over a year ago from her father. Jeremiah encouraged her interest because he wanted to have someone to converse and practice his Kryptonese. Alex saw how badly her father was failing to soothe the younger girl and something within her urged her forward. She stepped around her father and sat next to the prone form in the corner. She gently placed her hand under the girl's chin and encouraged Kara to look up and into her in the eyes. Speaking in careful Kryptonese but with a voice full of determination,

"Kara Zor-El, look at me. Look into my eyes and focus on only my heartbeat. Listen only to me and ignore everything else for the moment. Focus only on me. You are not alone. I, no we, will be your new family. We want you to be part of our family. Now focus, Kara, focus on me."

Kara slowly opened her eyes looked into Alex's eyes and bit-by-bit everything else fell away. The sharp bursts of light that bombarded her sensitive eyes diminished. The loud sounds of clanging and the clamor of voices from around her calmed until all she can hear is Alex's steady heartbeat. Kara reached out to Alex and took her hand within her own as her frantic heartbeat slowed to match Alex's own heart. Kara searched Alex's eyes and found only understanding and concern. Tears once more began to form in Kara's eyes as hope grew in her heart that maybe, just maybe, she was not truly alone. She could belong to Alex's family but the pain of Kal's desertion was still too fresh. Kara firmly grasped Alex hand and held it close to her own chest just above her heart. Alex brought her other arm around the younger girl hugging Kara tightly. The moment she felt Alex's arms encircle her body Kara swore to do everything she can to ensure that her new family would never find fault with her that could lead to abandonment in the future.

The first week was very difficult. Kara still refuses to speak English and generally only responds to queries posed in Kryptonese. Days slowly passed and the pain of Clark's abandonment began to lessen as she focused on the Danvers. Kara slowly come out of her self-imposed isolation. As days turned to weeks, Kara made more of an effort to communicate with the Danvers. She began with short terse sentences asking for more food or to help identify an object. As the length and complexity of the conversations they had increased Kara soon realized that the form of English she learned in the pod was too formal for casual conversations. Determined not to embarrass the Danvers and especially Alex she made every effort to learn the nuances of the English language quickly. The most common and effective method she found was to watch television or listen to the radio in Alex's company.

The Danvers' were astounded by her very steep learning curve since they weren't aware of the lessons she had while in the pod. Kara's apparent knowledge of Kryptonese culture and personal intelligence was not hard to notice and Jeremiah and Eliza was overjoyed to realize that while Clark may not know much about Krypton the same could not be said about Kara. She willingly offered small bits of her life on Krypton normally while comparing how things on Krypton ran versus how they work here on Earth. However, when they specifically asked her questions their curiosity was often met with stuttered replies or stony silence shortly followed by Kara retreating away from them. Alex quickly caught on to this pattern and took it upon herself to try and dissuade her parents efforts to pry into Kara's past and asked them for patience and to wait until Kara approached them on her own.

Kara's physical abilities continue to grow as her exposure to the yellow sun lengthened. Jeremiah often encouraged Kara to spend part of the day outside in the sunny backyard. In the beginning, Kara shied away from Jeremiah's efforts to help. She was terrified of her own power especially when she accidentally broke Jeremiah's rib when she hugged him with a bit too much force. The incident further emphasized to Kara that she does not belong with the Danvers, they are too fragile, and that the only being who can possibly understand her fears wants nothing to do with her because she failed him by not being there to raise him.

She began to retreat back into her own mind and away from the Danvers. Alex saw the fear growing in Kara's eyes and when she tried to go after the girl, her father cautioned her against it. Headstrong Alex gave Jeremiah a withering look before heading for the young girl sitting at the base of one of the large trees in the back yard. Alex sat next to Kara and pulled her into a hug. The younger girl tried to pull away while crying and begging Alex to let her go before she hurts her too. Alex simply tightened her arms around Kara while whispering gently into her ears that it will be all right. She whispered assurances that they were not mad and they understand she did not mean to hurt Jeremiah. Alex held Kara until the younger girl began to believe her whispered assurances and her sobs subsided. Once her tears stopped, Alex sat back and looked into Kara's eyes. She smiled at Kara and helped wipe her tears away.

"It'll be alright Kara. I promise we will not abandon you. I will not abandon you. I know you didn't mean to hurt dad. I know you are scared but you don't have to be. I'll help you."

Kara's eyes once more brimmed with tears. "Thank you Alex. I promise I'll learn how to control my powers so I don't hurt anyone again."

True to her word, Alex spent most of her summer break helping Kara learn about her powers. She worked with Jeremiah to device new exercises and alternate methods to assist Kara in learning to control her new abilities. Alex was Kara's stalwart companion who is ever willing to answer Kara's endless question and can be relied upon not to mock her ignorance. In exchange for Alex's care and patience, Kara slowly began to share some of the things she knew from Krypton compared to the new experience she is confronted with. Kara spoke to Alex of her fears of abandonment and why Clark's departure hurt her so deeply. She also told Alex how she promised to keep her powers under control so not to cause any further burden upon Jeremiah and Eliza. Alex could say nothing in the face of such determination but promised the younger girl that no matter what may happen in the future that she will always be there for her. As the summer days lead to the cooler days of early fall the bond between the new adopted siblings grew and with it Kara's confidence in herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Kara's Dilemma

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

Author's note: Kara is 12 when she arrived on Earth and Alex is 16. The first chapter was set up to be like a general summary of what happened before. This chapter is when the story truly starts and diverges from canon.

Chapter Two

The first day of school was a nerve wracking one. Jeremiah and Clark managed to get a set of falsified documentation for Kara. She is now Kara Danvers, daughter of Eliza and Jeremiah and sister to Alex. Kara lovingly ran her fingers across her new name when they showed her new paperwork. It was a new beginning for her and even though her hearts still bore the scars from her tragic past she is determined that her new future will be one that her parents would have been proud of if they were still here. They have enrolled her at the local high school where she will be attending as a 7th grade while Alex is in the next building over as a member of the sophomore class (10th grade). Alex walked Kara to her first class of the day before departing for her own class.

Alex stopped before room 114 and looked at her new younger sister. She gently ran her hand over Kara's blond ponytail before leaning forward to whisper in her ear.

"This is it. Day one. If you have, any problems I want you to call me. I will have my special watch that Clark made for us and it will alert me if you need me. I gave you a copy of my schedule so if you need to find me you'll know what class I'll be in. I know you can do this but if you need me do not hesitate. Be careful and I'll meet you at the cafeteria entrance when lunch starts. Alright?"

Kara nods solemnly and pulls up her courage determined that she can handle this new challenge before her. Her first class of the day was Algebra. The classroom was half-full when Kara arrived. She chose one of the seats on the far side of the room closest to the windows. She gingerly sat down at the desk and took out a notebook and pen like Eliza taught her and looked to the front of the room where a young woman sat reading that day's edition of the Daily Planet. The woman placed her newspaper down when the bell rang that signaled the start of class.

"Good morning. My name is Miss Clemens and I will be teaching Algebra. In a few minutes, I will be passing out a few things. First, I will be handing out your assigned textbooks. I will also have a copy of the assigned sitting chart that will be passed around so I hope you like the seat that you chose today because it will be your seat for the rest of the semester. Finally yet importantly, I will be handing out a short quiz. I know a few of you took pre-algebra as an advance course option last year and I just want to get an idea of where you all are as far as what you remember and what we will need to focus on more in the upcoming semester. Without further ado let's begin."

The process of handing out the books went smoothly and quickly. The aforementioned seating chart was quickly passed around and filled out and within 15 minutes, Miss Clemens began handing out the quiz.

Kara briefly browses the book she was given then hastily puts it away when the teacher begin to hand out the quiz. Kara read over the whole tests before answering the first question. It didn't take her long to complete the exam and once she is done, she is completely puzzled as to why they are teaching such basic concepts to people her age. She has learned similar concepts when she first started the academy at the age of five. It isn't until Kara hears the boy next to her whine and complain to his friend about how hard and impossible the questions on the quiz are that it dawns on Kara while she may find the content extremely easy the same could not be said about her peers. She quickly concludes that she should not compare her previous educational experience to her current one.

The bell finally rings to signal the end of class and the teacher collects the exams. Kara quickly gathers up her belongings and follows the crowd out into the hallway and into her next class. School was a very exciting and peculiar experience for Kara especially with all the upheaval the past month has presented her she is looking to a bit of normality that a structured system of the school environment only to be disappointed. It was nothing like the school environment she has experienced before. Krypton's learning facilities are of the highest caliber with the finest laboratories and facilities as well the most advance teaching AI systems to take full advantage of the typical Kryptonian's eidetic memory and fast absorption and retention rates. The Kryptonian academy is strictly structured with a heavy academics schedule that was interspersed with strenuous physical challenge course similar to most military boot camps here on Earth. In comparison, school on Earth feels like a vacation.

Kara made it through the rest of the morning (English and study hall) without any more surprise exams or problems. She hurriedly walked to the main cafeteria doors to wait for Alex. It didn't take long before her sister arrived and she followed Alex to the food line. The Danver's took into account how many calories Kara must eat per day so in addition to giving her money for lunch they also packed her a bag full of high protein granola bars and a couple water bottles. Kara follows Alex to a long lunch table of to the side of the large cafeteria. Alex introduces Kara to her friends before taking her seat. Another student immediately takes the seat next to Alex leaving no open spots so Kara opts to take her lunch to the outdoor courtyard where some of the students are eating. This also affords her with the opportunity to eat the food she purchased and the bag that Eliza packed without undue attention from the other students. Kara was just finishing her purchased lunch and was about to start on the bag of granola bars when Alex joins her in her small table.

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to touch base with a few of them since I haven't seen them all summer long. What did mom pack for you?" Alex asks her as she reaches for the bag before Kara curious as to what is inside.

Kara offers Alex one of the granola bars she has. Alex took the proffered food.

"It's alright, Alex. I didn't mind. I actually preferred to sit out here. The sun feels great."

Alex smiles at Kara. "Cool. So how's the day going for you?"

Kara launches into a description of her day so far. She tells Alex tells about the exam in first period along with her concerns that she might have done too well in the quiz. Alex assures Kara that it will be all right. If the teacher gets suspicious as to how Kara knows the answers they can just play it off as Kara having already taken Algebra at her old school and that it was a subject she enjoyed and excelled. As the warning bell that signals the end of lunch rings Alex tells Kara that after school, they can go over the curriculum for the next years and she can answer any questions or concerns the younger girl may have.

Kara helps Alex gather their litter and then she follows Alex's direction to reach her next class, Introduction to Earth Science. Kara steels herself before the class starts hoping for a challenge but based on previous experience and Alex's description of the class she knows that this class will also be disappointing. Kara felt out of place and chose to sit in the back of the room to make it easier to observe the whole class and the teacher. As predicted, the class was very far behind Kara's level. When she notes how the students mocked one of the other students who excitedly raised her hand to answer the teacher's question she decided to lay low and not draw attention to herself. The rest of the day quickly passes by. Once the last class of the day lets out, she walks to one of the big trees just outside of the main campus doors to wait for Alex so they can walk home together. She watches as the crowd walks by her, taking notes on the social interaction of the other students and noting how others treat some of the other students. Kara was puzzled as to why certain individuals are being isolated and picked upon by the others and she made a note to ask Alex about it.

The conversation that evening during the dinner meal revolved around the first day of the school year. Alex tells Eliza and Jeremiah about her new classes and how she plans to join a few of the school clubs. Eliza then turns to Kara and asks how her day went. Kara smiles shyly and begins to describe her day. She tells them how easy she found the lessons and her confusion as to why certain individuals were picked on by others. Alex and Jeremiah tried to explain the high school hierarchy and the social clicks that can be found amongst the halls of the school. Despite their well-meaning efforts to explain all they manage to do is to further confuse Kara and left her with the impression that standing out is a very bad thing.

Lay low and keep your head down became Kara's motto while at school. She quickly figured out the grading schemes and strategies used by the teachers from the itinerary they pass out in the beginning of the semester and decides to keep her grade average around the 88% - 90%. Grades that are good enough to pass and to make the Danvers' proud but not outstanding enough to draw unwanted attention to herself.

The week passes without any mishaps. Kara was very glad to be done for the week. It has been a very frustrating week. She has been bored to tears with all of her courses. Following the given itinerary, she has completed most of the required assignments for the semester for all of her classes and it is a true challenge not to fall asleep during class. The only class that she truly enjoys is Art Class.

As advance as Krypton was focus has always been prioritized for scientific and technological advancements not on creative pursuits such as creative writing or painting. These subjects was not really covered in the academy so for Kara these were new and novel ideas. She loves them. She loves the idea that by stringing a short series of words she can help explain her innermost emotion, to use passion and feeling not logic to get her thoughts across to someone. She loves the splash of color upon the canvas, and how it can encapsulate the joy, sorrow or fear of the artist. These were emotional outlets that allows Kara to work through her grief over the loss of her old life. While the Danvers' slept, Kara can often be found writing and filling journals with written Kryptonese describing the feeling of sorrow she feels at the thought that she can never look out her window ever again to see Rao sink into the horizon over the view of Argos City in the twilight. She would sometimes sketch to show the laughing or smiling faces of friends she has lost and family members that has gone on to meet Rao's light.

In an effort to increase Kara's familiarity with her new home the Danvers' encouraged her and Alex to go on exploration trips around town. Alex is an avid surfer and often takes the opportunity over the weekend to drag her new sister along to the beach. Alex tries to teach Kara how to surf but despite Kara's many physical advantages it is not an activity she enjoys doing or learning. She would often ask Alex to let her explore the area around the beachfront while Alex surfs. Alex compromises that if Kara sticks around and watches her surf in the morning she will go with her to explore the many nature preserves around their hometown. Kara swiftly agrees. She loves the idea of spending more time to get to know her new big sister, her favorite person in the world, and to get a guided tour of her new home.

Kara spends part of the morning laying out on a beach towel reading a book. She loves the feel of the yellow sun on her skin. She gently closed her book and placed her head upon her crossed arms luxuriating in the warmth of the sun. Kara's feeling of calm and contentment is disturbed by Alex's words.

"You look like a giant cat napping on a sunbeam."

Kara turns around and sits up looking at Alex. "I like cats, ooh and I like dogs too. The ones you showed in that video was funny. I have never seen so many much cuteness."

Alex laughs at the smile of Kara's face at the recollection of the funny cat video she showed her the other day. They were looking online for some videos that shows example of the different region of Earth when the ad for the kitten video popped up and Kara's interest was immediately peaked. After a few kitten videos, Kara found puppy videos and the rest of the afternoon was spent watching fuzzy pets play around while making cooing noises. Alex couldn't help but laugh a few times when Kara tried to reach across the screen wanting to pet the creatures featured within.

Alex reaches for the towel beside Kara. Once she was done, she begins to pack up her surfing gear. One quick trip to the car to drop of their things and to grab the hiking pack that Alex prepared and they were off. Midvale is a small city on the end of long island strip. Beaches, marshlands, and tidal pools surround the city. Alex took Kara to one of the many waterways that can be found within a few miles of their home. She chose this particular one because there is a small family of otters that live along the shoreline. It did not take long before they found the furry little animals. Kara squealed in delight when she saw how one of the mama otters is swimming along the water with a little baby otter on her stomach fast asleep. She is further delighted when she saw a few of the little otters holding hands as they floated on by. Alex smiles at Kara's reaction. It is exactly what she hoped for when thought of the otters. Along the shoreline, one can also find many breeds of ducks. Kara and Alex spent a wonderful day frolicking amongst the many wild animals and just exploring the area around them. As darkness begins to fall Alex once more lead Kara out of the marshland and back to their car. The whole trek back Kara couldn't stop talking about the animals. She is fascinated by many types of animals they found because animal life is rare in Krypton due to their strained resources. Alex and Kara took many pictures to share with Eliza and Jeremiah.

Kara even sent a couple pictures of the family of otters to Clark. The next few weekends were spent doing the same and Kara loves it. The loss of her home planet will be a wound that will never fully heal but being on Earth a planet that is alive and teeming with life has helped heal the worst of the pain in her soul. What happens next once more broke Kara's heart. An oil tanker was caught in a storm right off the coast of Midvale and somehow their seal on their cargo was breached and the oil they were carrying spilled out. Despite the fact that Superman managed to hear the distress call and only a 1/4 of the ship's cargo was lost this was still over 10 million gallons of oil. The event occurred on a Tuesday and by Thursday afternoon private volunteers and federal aid services to help mitigate the damage to the environment inundated Midvale. Kara and Alex both volunteered to help immediately. Eliza and Jeremiah was unsure if Kara should be allowed to help but the pleading look in her eyes broke down their resistance. The first time Kara saw a dead bird covered in oil she fell down beside it in tears. She gently scooped up the Canadian goose and cradled its motionless form as she took it to one of the other volunteers in charge of taking a tally of the animal lives lost. The day, which started out at barely 6 a.m., was a very long one. Kara and Alex didn't make it home until almost 7 p.m. exhausted and covered in oil. Eliza had them set up an outside wash/decontamination station in the back yard so they wouldn't track the oil all throughout the house. Kara stood under the water spray for over an hour and with copious amounts of dawn was able to manage to get rid of most of the oil from her skin.

Kara didn't speak at the dinner table that evening. The Danvers' left her to her thought because they can tell that she is trying to process what she saw earlier. Once dinner is completed, they expected her to go up to her room and try to get some sleep instead she asked to speak to them all.

Kara didn't know how to start but she knew she had to say something. Seeing all those animals in despair had broken something inside of Kara. She now knew that despite her fears that the Danvers may rethink keeping her with them if she used her alien knowledge she could not stand by and do nothing when she knows she can help.

"I…I didn't know it would be so bad. I had Alex show me some articles on the computer about the potential damage we can expect but to see it in person is indescribably painful. All those animals. They were in so much pain. So many of them have died and many more could die. The waterways were thick with the sludge and I could see some of the otters that some of the volunteered rescued and they were covered by the oil and barely able to breathe. I know Clark said I had to hide my origins but I cannot when I know I can help. Please…I beg you please let me help." Kara finished her plea with tears running down her face and her form shaking from fear and sadness.

Eliza and Jeremiah exchanged looks as they watched Alex sit down next to Kara and place a comforting arm around the younger woman. She turned her own pleading eyes to her parents. "You guys weren't there. It was horrible. I thought I knew what we were getting into but Kara is right it was beyond what I expected. The water was black, there was dead fish floating everywhere and the plants and animals were all coated from top to bottom. I helped one bring in one of the ducks into the cleaning centers and it took them over an hour to clean it. Even after they were done, there was still so much oil all over the duck and I overheard one of the volunteers saying how it may take decades for the area to recover and for the wildlife to come back. If there is anything we can do to help please let us find a way."

Eliza gripped Jeremiah's hand in her own when their eyes met they had a brief conversation that people who knew each other well can do. She turned to her two daughters and smiled. She was so proud of them and will happily help them anyway, she can.

"So, what can we do to help?"

Kara smiled through her tears. "Thank you. I believe I can synthesize a better solution than what they are using to remove the oil from the animals. I, also, believe that from there I can further develop something that can consume or break down the oil that is everywhere without further endangering the environment but I need access to lab and a sample of the oil that was spilled."

Alex jumped up. "I'll get our clothes that we wore today. It'll have the samples you need."

Jeremiah stood up from his seat. "Well then. While Alex grabs your samples why don't I show you around the lab we have downstairs."

Kara worked through the night and by mid-morning; she had two sample solutions to present to the Danvers. She showed them the effectiveness of both solutions. Once Eliza saw how well they worked an idea formed in her head. She called an old mentor, Lucius Fox. Fox is one of the main business managers that manage the Wayne holdings. He is also one of the Batman's main supporters not that Eliza knew that. Bruce has told Fox about little Kara shortly after Clark told him about his little cousin. He did this because he knew that Eliza Danvers was a close family friend to Fox and also to let his friend be aware incase the young girl's presence cause the Danvers' any issues due to her origins. Lucius was surprised but pleased to hear from Eliza. He was intrigued by the idea that she has presented him. As he listened and asked questions, he realized that Eliza was being intentionally vague as to how they managed to develope these new solutions. It didn't take him long to realize that the possible inventor maybe the newest member of the Danvers' family. He agreed to come out and test the same and to see what they can do to mass-produce it as soon as possible.

Lucius Fox took the company jet and by early afternoon, he was knocking on the Danvers' home. He hoped to catch sight of Kara but he was told that the young woman along with Alex was at the volunteer center with most of the batch they had synthesized trying to help. Lucius followed Eliza and Jeremiah down to the lab they had set up in the basement and was amazed by what he saw. The first compound that was meant to clean the oil from the animals without harming them could be the basis for the creation of a new cleaning supply and detergent that is part of the multibillion-dollar industry.

The second solution blew Lucius' mind. A solution that can essentially break down the oil but not affect the environment was unheard of. Just in the past hundred years millions of barrels of oil has spilt into the oceans and decades after these events some of these areas still has not recovered. This solution could help resolve the massive issues the oil has caused and he knows that there is a great need for it as well as a great market for the product. He excused himself from the Danvers and headed to the backyard so he can make his call to Bruce to update him on what he has found.

The conversation did not last long but the result was extremely in the favor of the Danvers. Lucius shared his findings as well as the possible source of the inventions. Bruce didn't hesitate and informed Lucius that they will cooperate fully and to draft a contract that will be fair for both parties while he contacted a few of the manufacturing facilities they have to so they can get prepared to mass produce the solutions as soon as possible.

Lucius returned to the Danvers with the proposal that Bruce and himself worked out. He further went on to explain that he is fully aware of who the possible creator of the solutions were and his relationship to Batman. He also agreed that due to the incredible origins of the young inventor that they can make arrangements to ensure her identity and privacy in the future.

Within the hour a courier came with a set of contracts that stipulates that a partnership was set up where the Danvers' will receive 60% of the profits with additional profit negotiations and market share for any future ventures from any products created from the solutions they presented. Eliza made a point that they were not the creators but have been given power of attorney to sign for these. They agreed that the money would be placed into a trust fund that can only be accessed for living expenses and for educational purposes only until the girl reaches the age of majority (18). They decided to place all of the contracts under Eliza's name. They did this since Jeremiah is very aware that certain factions may be watching him due to his work with Superman. Once the contracts were signed, Lucius immediately called Bruce and Bruce got to work kicking the process into gear so that they can mass produce the solutions and help those affected by the oil spills.

Within a week, a large shipment of the cleaning solvent was sent to the temporary headquarters of the volunteers working to clean up the oil spill. Bruce has worked out a deal with the company who owned the tanker and they paid for the solution as well as further shipments that can help with the recovery and rescue efforts. Kara felt wonderful when she heard that her ideas were being utilized to help others. While she was pleased that she was being offered so much money for her creation her true reward was to see one of the little otters happily squeal to one another as they played together.

The volunteers were onsite to help for over a month and the Danvers' sisters volunteered to help on the weekends as their schedule allowed. Kara and Alex would often talk after their parents went to bed and one night Kara brought up the subject of how else she can help. Alex considered the matter for a few moments before asking questions.

"Kara I know from what you told me that Krypton was very far ahead of Earth tech wise but how far ahead is it truly. Can the ideas that was used on your planet work here on Earth? What kind of resources will you need to do this?"

Kara took a moment before answering and revealing a huge secret that Alex was most definitely not expecting.

"I don't know what Clark told you about the pods we were placed. Clark and I were placed in suspended animation so that upon arriving here no time would have passed for either of us. The pods had self-replicating processors that can create the basic nutrients our bodies needed to sustain and keep us in that suspended state indefinitely. There was however, one small difference between his pod and mine. Mine had an AI instructor that was supposed to provide me with as much information as possible during the voyage so that when I arrive here on Earth I will have a knowledge base to build upon so that I may be better equipped to take care of Clark and myself. What my parents and family did not account for is my little side trip to the phantom zone."

Shocked Alex did not know what to say for a few minutes. "When you said it was supposed to teach you how much did it actually teach you?"

Kara winced at Alex's question. "Well it gave me the basics of the Earth economy, languages, and technology. The information was about three decades out of date because it came from the early observation drones my uncle sent. Once those information sources has been depleted the AI proceeded to complete the education I would have received on Krypton based on my genetic identifiers."

Alex nodded along with Kara's answer. "So what else did you learn? What are genetic identifiers?"

"Krypton has a society based on tiered system. Our governing body has several parties each of the parties represents a certain aspect of our society such as law, military, agriculture, transportation and so on. Each of the major parties are usually part of a house. Alliances between the houses are solidified by marriages and contracts each meant to help and improve Krypton. I come from the house of El and the House of Ze. House of El are known as the revolutionizing force in our society. They were the inventors and innovators. Many of my members of my family belong to the science guild that helps improve our way of live through scientific breakthroughs. On the other hand, the House of Ze have been very active in law enforcement and the maintenance of our society through public works. They have members that are part of the judicial system, like my mother who was a judge or my aunt who was a general in the military. Over the years, Krypton has done away with the traditional birthing methods that Earth still uses and has used the birthing matrix. Since resources are scarce in Krypton the ability to bring forth the best possible genetic combination can help ensure the best possible result and least amount of wasted resources. I was born in the matrix but since one of the matrix facilities is under my hours; control I was given a few additional advantages. Normally when a child is created, a path is designated for that child and the genetic advantages that can help that child later on in life is preselected. In my case my parents would have had to choose whether or not I was meant for the science guild or the law enforcement sect but due to my mother's wishes and my father's influences I was given both sets of genetic identifiers so I have more options open to me."

Alex sat back on her bed astounded. It's hard to imagine that the goofy little girl who has been following her around the past few months is essentially a perfect genetic being. "Wow! That is amazing. Is Superman also born the same way?"

Kara shook her head. "No he is not. His birth actually caused a scandal. His is the first live birth recorded in over a thousand years and the only reason he was terminated was because my uncle claimed that he is the result of an experiment on alternative birth practices that can help retain the genetic advantages offered by the birthing matrix."

Alex grinned at hearing this. "So what you are telling me is that you are genetically superior to Superman?"

Kara frowns before answering. "I guess. My genes were the best possible combination for Krypton. While my parents preselected to remove, any gene sequences that can cause any genetically based illnesses that not mean I cannot encounter any illness or disease here on Earth that they did not plan for in Krypton. So while I have the best possible genetic make-up the fact that Clark grew up on Earth means that he may have antibodies that I do not that corresponds to diseases on Earth."

"Alright. I can understand that. So back to the original question. What did you learn?"

Kara smiles wanly at Alex before answering. "Since I was in the Phantom zone for over twenty four years I essentially had more than enough time to absorb almost everything from our scientific annals and most of the annals in military structures and our policies behind our governing bodies."

Once more Alex was stupefied. "When you say everything?"

"I mean everything. My pod had a copy of our whole technology base as well as the complete and latest update from Argo Academy which consists of our whole planet's database." Kara answered.

"Oh my god! That's incredible. Just think of what you can do. Forget lifting a plane with your bare hands your knowledge has the ability to help so many more people than you can possibly imagine." Alex exclaimed. She began to babble about space ships and teleporters when Kara placed a hand over her mouth to stop the torrents of words coming from her.

"Alex until I know what Earth has or what I can accomplish then I can't risk creating something that can do more harm than good. I need to get more information and to do that I think we may need help."

Alex quieted down at Kara's words and as moments passed, she began to understand what Kara meant. Even if Kara had the means to end world hunger tomorrow or remove their reliance on fossil fuel, it would not be a good idea to do so without considering how it would affect the world economy and the quality of life of the people it may affect. In order to be able to do what they want to do they need more information that means more schooling and resources. Alex looked over to Kara who sat quietly besides her watching for her reaction.

"Alright Kara. I think I have a plan but I have got to talk to someone first."

The following morning after breakfast Alex asked her parents if they could talk. She told them some of what Kara told her about having more ideas and about information and technology that can help the world then discussed with them possible options on how to get Kara the resources she needs. Jeremiah was shocked. He knew that Kara knew more about Krypton that Clark did but the idea that she may have some ideas that can be repurposed for Earth's benefit was astonishing. He looked to his wife and saw the worry in her eyes. Eliza spoke first.

"Alex I appreciate that you and Kara wants to help but before we do anything you both must talk to Clark."

Alex wilted at her mother's words. Clark has been a sore subject between Kara and her. Alex is so mad at him for abandoning Kara. She knew from previous conversations with Kara that if she were to mention this to Kara then the younger girl would just square her shoulders before mumbling something about not bothering Clark with the matter or say something about not burdening Clark any further and to just forget the whole thing. Determined that Kara will have what she needs to help others Alex made a decision to talk to Clark herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Kara's Dilemma

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

Alex had a plan. The following weekend is a fall break and school will be out for a four-day weekend. Originally, she had planned to go with a few friends to visit Metropolis University but now she also plans to pay Clark a little visit while in Metropolis. Alex told her friends that she was having dinner with a family friend who attended the university and she wanted to get some tips about the courses offered. They readily agreed to the plan changes and told her that they would meet up with her later.

Alex then called Clark using the excuse of asking for advice about Met University from an alumnus. She was glad to hear that Clark readily agreed and recommended a small restaurant near the Daily Planet where they can have great food and plenty of privacy to talk. Alex gathered her journals and the patent licensing paperwork for Kara's new solvent before setting of to make her way to the restaurant. She wanted to talk to Clark about Kara's ideas and the best way to accomplish them was to show him the patents but first and foremost, she was determined to let Clark know how badly he hurt Kara when he left her behind. Alex has known Clark for years and she knows that while he is not a bad man but he can be a bit ignorant and dense when it comes to feelings.

From conversations with Kara and her father, Alex soon realized that Clark knows next to nothing about Krypton and despite his access to the information in the Fortress of Solitude Clark has never had the interest to delve deeper into his origins. Clark was already 18 when his adopted parents showed him the pod he came in and he was almost 21 before he had access to the Fortress. Clark's whole life before that point has focused on doing things and finding ways to appear more human and to trying to fit in. Unlike Kara, he never really lived as a Kryptonian. He might have been born under Rao's light but he grew among Kansas wheat. Clark knows of a truncated Kryptonian history as told to him by Jor-El's AI and he can barely speak comprehensibly in Kryptonese. He has a basic knowledge of the guilds and family lines but not how it truly affected every facet of life on Krypton. He understood that people were born via the birthing Matrix but not how important the concept of family is to each Kryptonian. He cannot grasp that on Krypton having a family name is more than a way to identify who your parents are but rather a very integral part of your being. He never understood that on Krypton family is everything. Your family was both your guiding influences and your foundation of self and purpose. He cannot understand that abandonment by family is reserved only for those who have done unspeakable evil.

Alex knows how deeply the pain of this abandonment affected Kara. Kara truly believes that Clark abandoned her because she was a burden and a massive failure. Kara's inability to be here for Clark upon his arrival and to be the one to raise him was a huge blow not only to Kara's emotional stability but also to her sense of self-purpose. Alex didn't know how to explain to Kara no one saw her late arrival as failure to fulfill her promise and certainly no one could fault her for her late arrival but Kara wasn't having any of it. Alex's heart broke for Kara whenever the she would find the younger girl in a melancholy state and often in tears at her perceived failure.

Clark was already seated when Alex got there. She was glad to see that he got them a private corner with plants on either side to give them even more privacy. They quickly sat down and as soon as they did, the waiter came by with the menus, water and quickly took their drink orders.

"Alex! I am so happy to hear from you. How is your family doing? How is Kara? Oh, you should try the lasagna here. It's fantastic."

Alex placed her menu down before answering. "Clark thanks for meeting me. My family is doing fine. Dad is busy as always and mom is working on something new so she is also super busy. I wanted to meet with you because there is something very important I wanted to talk to you about."

Clark sat back a bit at the look on Alex's face. It didn't escape his attention that Alex didn't mention Kara. Worry beginning to churn in his stomach, Clark took a sip of the water in front of him because continuing the conversation. "Of course, Alex. Please know you can talk to me about anything. Please feel free to ask me anything and I'll do my best to answer your questions."

Alex took a deep breath before beginning. She sat back into her chair and caught Clark's eyes so to make sure that she had his full attention. "I know that when you brought Kara to us it was with the best of intentions."

Clark nodded along and hastily responded. "Yes, of course! I wanted her to have a normal childhood as I did. I couldn't give her that in Metropolis especially with how crazy my life and schedule can be with... well... you know."

"I can understand that but do you understand exactly what you did when you left her with us? Do you understand that on Krypton what you did to her is considered the worst type of punishment short of sending them to the phantom zone?"

Alarmed at this Clark sat forward. "Punishment?! Why? How? What do you mean? I just wanted Kara to have a better life than what I can give her here with me."

Alex took another sip of her water but before she can tell him everything, the waiter came back with their ordered drinks and to take their orders. Once the waiter left, Alex once more took reins of the conversation.

"Clark what do you know about the family structures on Krypton?"

Clark's brows furrowed at the question. "Not much really. I know that the Governing Guilds are composed of families and each family has a specialty. I think I read somewhere that sometimes families would live together in large compounds."

Alex nodded. Clark has just confirmed what she had feared. He knew next to nothing of the importance of the Kryptonian family units. "Alright well that explains quite a bit actually."

At Clark's confused look, Alex continued. "According to Kara and the records I was able to get a hold of from the access you gave us to the Fortress archive the concept of family is very different on Krypton. Apparently, there was a massive war a few millennia ago and when peace was acquired, the Kryptonian society was heavily fractured and so was their planet. Many of the people left banded together to form something like Clans. Each clan is part of a whole and together they helped rebuild Krypton. Each clan or family gained a specialty and each member of the family is a contributing member to ensure, not only the honor of their family, but also for the enrichment of Krypton by fulfilling their purpose."

Alex stopped when their food came. "According to Kara on Krypton family was everything. Family dictated who you are, what you can be and how you fulfil that requirement or your potential showed the world your worth. This in turn gave you more opportunities to advance not only yourself but also your family. Your success and your failures is linked to your familial identity. Now imagine a child who grew up in this culture. Now take away her family because her planet exploded. Imagine now if that girl made a last minute promise to her family before their death. A promise to take care of her last remaining infant cousin upon their arrival to this new world, which will now be their home. Now I want to you to imagine how that young girl must have felt upon arriving in her new planet where everything is different, she knew no one and her only purpose is gone. She must have felt devastated not only from losing her loved one but for failing them, for dishonoring their memory by failing at the promise she made to them.

Clark was dumbfounded by Alex's words and was unable to respond. Alex saw her words sinking into Clark's mind and she continued on, "Now to top it off what if she finds that she may still have some family left after all. That maybe not all of her family is left and despite the fact that she might not have been there to raise him Kal-El is still alive and well. She must have felt a small piece of hope that she can regain her honor by doing the best she can to help her remaining family. Now imagine if her only family gave her away to another and away from him. An act that is simply not done on Krypton because on Krypton to be separated or left behind by your family can be considered punishment for a heinous crime that dishonored the whole family. Maybe just maybe the young girl doesn't say anything because she thought that this was her punishment for her failure to do as was asked of her."

Clark had his hand over his mouth in horror and his eyes brimmed with tears. "Oh god! I didn't know. Kara can't possibly believe that can she?"

At the dead look Alex gave him, Clark's tears began to fall. "Kara was devastated. It took weeks before she began to understand that you didn't know. It took so much strength for her to get pass her pain. At first, she was so lost. It wasn't until my dad and I sat her down and told her what was now expected to be part of our family and that we truly want and is proud of her to be part of our family that she began to heal. She is so wonderful Clark. You should have seen her when we told her that she was a Danvers now and all we expect from her is to do what makes her happy and to find a new purpose that she wants to pursue."

Clark wiped the tears away and slowly drank some of his drink before speaking again. "How can I make it up to her? How do I fix this? I can't believe I messed this up so badly. I just wanted her to be safe and happy."

"Oh Clark. She has already forgiven you for what happened but the pain is going to take a while to go away. She is doing so great Clark and I believe she may have found her new purpose."

Clark smiled at Alex. "She may have forgiven me but I haven't forgiven myself. I promise Alex I will be better for her. I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that she understand that I am so proud of her and show her how much I love her."

Alex beamed at Clark. "I'm so glad you said that. As I said I believe Kara has found her new purpose but she is going to need your help."

Alex and Clark spent the rest of the night going over the plans that Kara and Alex has cooked up. Alex showed Clark the contract that her parents signed by proxy for the solutions that Kara created to help with the oil spill. Clark smiled when he saw the contract and a gleam sparked in his eye. "Don't worry Alex. I think I may have solution for us. Just give me a few weeks to get the ball rolling before you tell Kara anything. I promise this time I won't fail Kara again."

Clark had an idea as to how to accomplish what Kara and Alex planned but he needed to get more information. After dropping off Alex at her hotel Clark donned his famous red and blue suit and flew the short distance to Gotham. He landed on the front patio of Wayne Manor. He was promptly greeted by Alfred, who informed him that Master Bruce is in the main library on the second floor.

"Hello Clark. It is nice to see you. I was expecting you about a week ago."

"Bruce. Nice to see you again. I believe we have some things to discuss."

Alex didn't tell anyone about her meeting with Clark. Upon her arrival back home, she sought out Kara with a few more ideas. While she was on her college visit, she asked about courses that is available via correspondence. She was very happy to see a large amount of courses that is available but some courses must be completed on campus and some special summer classes are offered for those who can't attend these mandatory courses throughout the normal school year. She grabbed as many of the brochures as possible that may be linked to courses Kara is interested in. She and Kara has created a possible schedule if they can persuade their parents to agree to let her take classes. Kara went along with the exercise but didn't think it would actually happen since she knew that the Danvers would not agree without consulting Clark and she didn't want to ask Clark. She didn't know that Alex has already spoken to Clark on her behalf.

Clark kept his word. He showed up in Midvale a few weeks after meeting with Alex. It was a Friday night and he and a friend was expected to join the Danvers for dinner. He called earlier that week and told them he had some news for them and for Kara. Alex was excited, Eliza and Jeremiah was curious as to what Clark could have for them, and Kara is fearful. She has come to love the Danvers and she fears that Clark has come to take her away from them.

Clark pulled up in front of the Danvers' home in a black car being driven by another man. Both men exited the vehicle and headed for the front door, which was quickly answered by Eliza and Jeremiah. The elder Danvers led them to the family room where both Alex and Kara shared one of the couches.

"Eliza and Jeremiah thank you for meeting with us. I really appreciate what you have done for my family and me. I have so much to discuss with you but before I do so let me introduce my friend. This is Bruce Wayne. If you wouldn't mind could I speak to Kara privately for just a few moments?"

Kara and Clark stepped into the kitchen and took seats across from one another on the breakfast bar.

"First of all I want to apologize to you Kara. I swear to you I didn't know or understand what family truly meant to Kryptonian culture and it wasn't my intention to hurt you. I love you. You are one of the most important people in my life and if I can raise you safely with me I would love for you to do so but I'm not sure that's possible. I however would love it if you could visit me or I could visit here more often and maybe you can teach me about Krypton."

Kara was shocked because of all the possible conversation she thought they would have today having Clark apologize was not one of them. "I'm so happy to hear that. Alex tried to tell me that she didn't think you were punishing me for failing to keep my promise but I.. I'm so sorry I failed the House of El. I promise I won't fail them again if you give me another chance." Kara said with a small voice as tears brimmed in her eyes. In a blink of an eye, Clark was kneeling besides her seat and has her in his arms.

"Oh Kara. Shush little one. You didn't fail anyone. It wasn't your fault that you were trapped in the phantom zone. You didn't fail anyone. I'm sure if you had been given the opportunity that you would have done a wonderful job of raising me. I know your parents and my parents are proud of how brave you are. I know I am very proud of you and how well you are doing. I also want you to know that no matter what happens in the future I will always love you and be there for you all you have to do is ask. What was that saying that Jor-El tells me is our family motto? Oh yes, El mayarah. We will always be family and we will always be stronger together."

Kara collapsed into Clark's arms her sobs picking up tempo as she finally released her fears and pain. Clark did his best to comfort her by rubbing slow circles into her back and hugging her tightly. Alex came into the room to find out what was keeping them and her tears fell at the scene she came upon. She caught Clark's eyes and murmured a soundless thank you before leaving the room to give the cousins a few more minutes alone.

Bruce sat down across from the Danvers and from the corner of his eye, he saw Clark draw the blond girl, presumably Kara, to speak with her in the other room. "Thank you for meeting with us. I realize that this is somewhat unorthodox especially since Clark must have told you that he had family matters to discuss with you but please bear with me. While Clark speaks with Kara, I wanted to introduce myself. I'm sure you have heard of me before but very few people know what I am about to tell you. I know Clark is Superman. I know this because we often work together to help people. He is usually in the spotlight while I am usually in the shadows. I'm not sure what you may have heard about Batman but please know that most of the rumors are not true and that all I have ever wanted to do was to help."

The Danvers' are shocked at Bruce's words. Eliza recovered first. "Why? Why would you tell us?"

Bruce smiled wryly at Eliza's question. "I have many reasons. First, I know from Clark and Lucius Fox, that you are good trustworthy people. Clark trusts you so much he is willing to leave his young cousin in your care. I also told you because this knowledge will come in handy to understand why I am here and why I am willing to help Kara. I'm not sure how much of the Wayne family history you are familiar with but whatever else you may hear please know that I can personally understand what it is like to lose everything you care about and I can also understand what it is like to find a new purpose. Before I go any further we should wait for Clark and Kara."

Alex stood up to get the others but came back into the room a few moments later. "They'll be here in a little bit. Clark and Kara are almost done talking. Mr. Wayne how did you meet Clark?"

Seeing through Alex's ploy to buy the super cousins a few more minutes of privacy Bruce launched into a funny story that involved the joker, some crazy slime monster and how the bat mobile ended up in the bay only to be fished out by Superman who was patrolling the harbor. A few moments later Clark and Kara came back into the room. Both went up to Alex and gave her a huge hug. "Thank you so much Alex. I owe you big time. If you ever need anything all you need to do is ask and I'll be there for you." Clark whispered into her ears as he pulled away and sat back down next to Bruce.

Clark quickly introduced Kara to Bruce before sitting down next to the other man. "Now that the introductions are done I wanted to bring up the reason I asked to meet today. I'm not sure if you know this but Alex came to see me in Metropolis a few weeks ago."

Clark glanced over amused at Alex as she shrunk into herself at her parents' angry glare. "Please don't be mad at her because if she hadn't done so I wouldn't have realized how much I have hurt Kara and how big of a mistake I had made. You should be proud because she made me realize that even though I may be Superman I am still just a man prone to making mistakes just like anyone else. She brought up that even though we encourage Kara to hide her physical abilities that there might be a way for Kara to use her other abilities to help others and a way to do it safely. I approached Bruce hoping he may have an idea how to do this and we have come up with a few ideas we think will work with your support."

Jeremiah sat back and gave his daughter a small smile. "What exactly did you and Alex discuss?"

"Alex pointed out that I may have been too rushed in my decision to bring Kara to you and that I may not have fully realized the implications of my actions. She also spoke to me about Kara's new solvents and other ways they have come up with that can help others."

Jeremiah nodded at Clark's response. "We have also briefly discussed this topic and we had agreed on the fact that we needed to consult with you before making any long term decisions with regards to Kara's future. I have made some inquiries about off location schooling options from the local universities and I had planned to call you sometime this week to discuss it."

Clark beamed at this. "That's fantastic. Anyway, after our talk I went to Gotham and spoke with Bruce. I recalled from a previous conversation we had that Bruce's family is a board member in a few universities and I hoped it would help with our goals. I was hoping to get her enrolled in a few advance courses and then we can see where that would lead us."

Bruce sat beside Clark, he watched Alex's, and Kara's face as Clark began to outline what they had discussed. He noted how the two girls would often catch each other's eye before nodding or smiling at one another as if they are conducting their own silent conversation.

"Why don't we ask the girls? They seem to have a plan in place already."

The other adults turned to the two teenagers sitting across the room at Bruce's words. "Sweetie? Do you and Kara have something you'd like to share with us?" Jeremiah prompted his daughter.

Kara and Alex shared one more look before Kara nodded and Alex began to speak. "Well, we may not have told you all there was to know about the educational matrix that Kara had in her pod." The two girls then spent the next hour telling them about the extent of the teachings Kara had undergone as well as the plan they had tentatively formulated.

Kara told them about how most of the information she had from the pod was at least twenty years old. She had a lot of catching up to do and one she is familiar enough with Earth systems and technological base she can then work to implement some of the Kryptonian technology she is familiar with without collapsing the world economy. Clark, Bruce, Eliza and Jeremiah were stunned. They know that Krypton must be ahead of Earth technologically to build space-faring vehicles but didn't realize what this truly meant until presented with some of the ideas Kara had for improving life on her new world. Clark and Jeremiah both jumped in with more ideas to add in. The conversation picked up pace quickly and was brought to a grounding halt by a pierce whistle from Alex.

"Stop! I'm happy you are all on board with this idea but I want you all to consider one more thing. Clark, you said you left Kara with us so that she can have a normal childhood. If we proceed with your new plan that will not be possible. I love that Kara wants to help others and all that jazz but I also love Kara enough to know that she needs more than just that. We want to do things together. I promised her that I would go with her to school dances and to football games. I told her I would help her with her art projects. I was going to trick her into joining the glee club and sign her up for the school play because she has a beautiful singing voice but none of that will be possible if you want her to leave and go to Gotham University as soon as possible."

Eliza stood up and went up to hug Alex and Kara. "Oh sweetie! We are sorry we just got excited and a bit carried away. Of course, we want what is best for Kara. How about we order some pizza and pot stickers while we discuss what options we have available to us alright?"

Kara squealed in happiness. "Wait! Wait we are having pizza AND pot stickers!? This is the best day ever! Hey! Alex what did you mean trick me into joining glee club and the school play?"

Once dinner was done Clark, Eliza and Jeremiah headed downstairs to Jeremiah's basement lab to go over some research that they are collaborating on. Bruce took this opportunity to ask Kara to speak with him. Kara agreed while Alex told them she will be in the living room if anyone needs her.

Bruce sat beside Kara in one of the benches that lined the back porch. They didn't say anything for a bit while they enjoyed the balmy fall night. Bruce finally broke the silence.

"You will always remember their faces in those last moments. You will forever recall their last words to you and try to find meaning in their last glance. You will always see the light in their eyes as you said goodbye. I know I will never forget."

Kara looked over to Bruce as he spoke and she saw a familiar pain in his eyes. She can see the raw grief in his form and when he exhaled, she saw a mask fall over his features.

"I'm sure you can't help but ask yourself could you have done more? Could I have changed anything? Kara I understand that feeling all too well. One thing I have learned over the years is to not focus only on those last moments. It would do you well to remember the times before as well. All the laughter, the tears, the anger and most of all remember the love. They created the pod not only to preserve the legacy of the House of El but because they loved you and could not bear the thought of you perishing with them. They may not be here with you but I am absolutely sure, if they were, they would be so proud of you and love you so much. They would want you to live on and create a new life for yourself. Above all I know they would want you to be happy."

Kara couldn't stop the tears and her urge to hug this gruff man who faced his feelings to help her through her grief. The Danvers tried to placate her pain but they do not understand what it is to live with the hollowness inside her heart. They don't know what it is like to lose everything but this man does and by sharing his pain, he has given her a chance to rise above her own pain. This was such a small thing but it was also everything. She wrapped her arms around him and cried silently for her lost world, her parents and finally for herself. She might not have died when Krypton exploded but she was definitely not the same girl who got into that pod. So much has happened and yet so little time has passed for her. In Bruce's arms, Kara finally began to grieve and then heal.


	4. Chapter 4

Kara's Dilemma

Chapter Four

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

The plan devised by the Danvers, Clark and Bruce was a bit convoluted. As requested by the girls, Kara continued to attend Midvale high school with Alex with a few changes. A new identity was created to facilitate taking the additional classes that Kara needed. Bruce helped them create the identity of Linda Karen Zorel using some of the contacts he had made in the past. According to the false history he devised for Linda, she is a young lady who is very gifted and had graduated from an overseas correspondence program with a diploma equivalent to that of a high school diploma. Linda Zorel is the daughter of a pair of Peace Corp Volunteers who worked in areas where the blood diamond trade was very prevalent and was unfortunately killed in a recent insurgence. They included Karen as a middle name so that if anyone slipped and called Kara by her real name they can try to play it off as someone calling her by her middle name instead.

Thanks to input from Clark and Alex, they made sure that this background helped cover for some of Kara's social awkwardness and some of her odd skills or lack thereof. Her "parents" tragic death left the young woman with deep phobia of being in a public place and being surrounded by a crowd. They then made her a ward of Bruce Wayne, who was supposed to be a friend of her dead father. This worked in her favor because they can then use the Wayne resources to allow Kara to take classes remotely from the best universities in the world. The convoluted trail of paper work made it hard to pin point exactly how many classes the young girl is taking at any given time. Thanks mainly to judicious use of her super speed and thank to the many intellectual gifts bestowed upon her Kryptonian heritage Kara was able to finish most of the basic prerequisites she needed within the first 4 months of starting their plan. During the fall semester, they tried to take to test out of as many classes as possible. By the start of the spring semester Kara was enrolled in four different universities all over the world and slowly working her way to a list of degrees, they had chosen from a list to ensure she had a solid grounding of the world around her.

Alex is no slouch and is a full-blown genius in her own right. The Danvers' decided that since it was Alex idea to enroll Kara in advance courses then she should also be part of the experience. She was able to get special dispensation from the school to take some college courses. Bruce and Jeremiah then took advantage of this opportunity to set her up on an advance course load that will have her finishing her undergraduate degree roughly around the time she turns eighteen.

Kara loved her new schedule. It was very similar to what she was used to on Krypton. The additional courses were very easy for Kara and she was able to complete all of her work thanks to her super speed. One thing she noticed was the more she used her speed the better control she had over it and with Jeremiah's help she was able to track her progress. Within those first four months her speed and her control over it has improved dramatically and she is almost as fast as Clark. Alex and Eliza theorized that Kara's abilities are like muscles the more she used them the more finesse is developed and improved control, an odd form of muscle memory. It was as if her muscles are getting used to the amount of power it can harness from the sun and her perfect biology started to create new processes to improve the function of her body one cell at a time.

This was not a progression they noticed with Clark's powers because before he became Superman he never really had a period in his life where he used his super powers on a daily basis. He did mention that ever since he began using his powers more he has noticed that some tasks he use to struggle with is now a bit easier. Things like sudden acceleration without disturbing his environment. His tactile telekinesis is now stronger than ever therefore reducing the chances of injuring any passengers.

All these new changes gave the super cousins an idea. They decided that one weekend a month they will go to the Fortress of Solitude and use the isolated location to go all out and get a true gauge of their powers. The first weekend they went, they had to call Bruce for a lift home because they both managed to blow out their powers. Jeremiah, Eliza, and Bruce had developed a light array that can emit red solar rays to help prevent this issue from arising in the future. They discovered that a short stay in the red sun environment followed by exposure to intense yellow sun light acts as a shot of adrenalin to kryptonian systems giving them a boost if they accidentally blow out their powers making the recovery period after much quicker process.

Bruce also wanted to use the opportunity to train with his friends. While Clark and Kara were under the effects of the red sun array Bruce created an exercise/workout routine that can help improve combat effectiveness. Bruce also introduced not only Kara but also Alex to several forms of martial arts. Overjoyed with the effectiveness the red sun array installed a smaller version in the Danvers' basement just in case Kara blew out her powers due to overuse while performing her extra courses.

Clark was true to his word and would often come by Midvale to spent at least a few hours a week with Kara. They would just talk and hang out or sometimes Kara would spend the afternoon teaching Clark to improve his understanding of Krypton. It was a much-needed connection for them both. Clark never realized how much he didn't know about Krypton and speaking with Kara help bring to life the culture, the people and the hopes his extinct race had. For Kara the situation is as if a healing balm applied over an open wound. She found that teaching Clark helped ease her grief because it was a reminder that not all was lost. She still had Clark and they can build a new start for Krypton here on Earth one lesson at a time. Alex would sometime join them and whenever she did, Kara felt as if her heart could explode in joy. Being in the presence of the ones she loved helped solidify in her mind that she is not alone. She still has her family, both old and new.

Bruce was another wonderful surprise that Kara did not expect. From that very first evening they spent speaking on the back porch, their relationship has grown in leaps and bounds. While Clark is her cousin, and Alex is her sister, Bruce has quickly taken the spot of her big brother. She adored his gruff attitude and his broody moments are a source of comfort for Kara because it reminded her that someone understands her pain. They often would spend some time after their workouts in the Fortress meditating. Kara found the sound of Bruce's heartbeat and even breathing soothing and it was an experience that helped her keep her balance when she sometimes felt that she is being pulled into too many different directions.

The rest of the school year flew by. Kara has officially finished her 7th grade. The Danvers' petitioned the school board to have Kara test out of 8th grade and once the assessment test was completed, the school corporation agreed so in the fall Kara will be joining the ninth graders and joining Alex in the high school building. Summer is officially in session and Alex was very disappointed to find out that she won't have as much time to surf as she had hoped because her parents had other plans for her and Kara. Jeremiah and Eliza got a contract with a prestigious organization to help with wonderful research opportunity overseas. The parents agreed to go only because Bruce and Clark volunteered to host the girls.

Bruce and Clark arranged to have Kara and Alex spend the first part of the summer in Gotham with Bruce and the second part in Metropolis with Clark. Kara and Alex was scheduled to attend Gotham University to finish off some to the lab requirements and classes they are not able to take remotely. Kara was very happy to spend more time with her big brother and Alex was very happy to spend time near cute boys i.e. Dick Grayson. Bruce also offered Kara the use of one of his labs. She was happy to tinker with some ideas she had and was happy to help Bruce with a few of his side projects.

Wayne Corp has developed a special material that he uses for his cape to create the short-term glider he uses in his night job. He also tends to use a lot Kevlar in his bat suits. It is not the most pliable material and he has had a few near misses due to the inflexibility of his suit. He hopes to develop a material that is just as durable but a lot easier to manipulate. Kara had an idea based on the nanomolecular armor used by the Kryptonian military. The Kryptonian version has an AI embedded into the linear matrix of the armor weave but for their purposes they just need the quantum molecular formula to create the material, which should theoretically be stab and bulletproof. The final product performed better than expected. It managed to prevent any piercing damage from any of the common edge weapons. It also managed to stop the impact of many high caliber armor-piercing rounds without any sign of damage. They used some of the properties of the older material to help disperse the kinetic force of a bullet to create a temporary hard armor. It had the double duty of being a fantastic armor when one is falling from a great height. Hard impacts from falls are absorbed by the kinetic armor component helping minimize the damage that will be dealt to the person wearing it.

Bruce loved the material and despite the high cost of manufacturing the material he had several bolts made so that he can commission a set of outfits for the rest of the bat crew and the Danvers' to wear on a regular basis. His paranoia worked in his favor. Barbara who had several sets of underlayer (tanks and t-shirts) made from the material was wearing a set of this "bulletproof" clothing when she was ambushed by the Joker. The bullet would have pierced and severed her spine instead it only left a large red spot that may become a bruise on her lower back. The injury is not enough to prevent her from knocking out and capturing the surprised maniac.

Barbara bought Kara three dozen pot stickers as thanks for helping develop the new material. In gratitude, Bruce offered Kara her own batcycle, which Alex happily accepted on Kara's behalf. Bruce feared for his charges lives after the first time he caught Alex and Kara attempting to spirit the bike away for a joy ride. He immediately asked Dick and Barbara to teach Kara and Alex how to ride the bike. The pair readily agreed. Barbara taught them the basics and Dick happily taught the two girls some of the tricks he learned over the years that may come in handy in the future if they are ever in a high-speed pursuit.

The second part of the summer was spent in Metropolis with Clark. Alex had to attend a special summer camp/internship so Kara had to go by herself. Clark took the first week of her visit off from work and the two of them did the touristy things around Metropolis. They went to a Metropolis Meteors baseball game and Kara loved it! Once she got over the sheer amount of noise and sound around her, she was caught up in the spirit of the game and before the end of the eighth inning, she can be found shouting her cheers and jeers along with the rest of the crowd. It was an experience unlike anything she has ever experience before and while she didn't really understand what was happening in the game she loved the atmosphere where there were so many people just enjoying themselves.

They next visited the local museums. Kara was fascinated by the Natural Field Museum that featured the extinct animals of Earth. She smiled widely when she came across the platypus thinking that it was a joke. She thought someone must have made a mistake. It took Clark the better part of an hour to convince her that it actually was supposed to look like that.

Upon hearing how much Kara loved animals Clark made sure to schedule a visit to the Metropolis Zoo. The trip to the zoo was fantastic. A couple of Clark's friends from Smallville was in town and joined them for their visit to the zoo. At first Kara was a bit worried about keeping her secret from them but Clark quickly soothed her concerns by telling her that both Chloe and Pete knows about his powers and can be trusted with her secrets as well. Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross were Clark's best friends while growing up. Kara loved spending time with them. Chloe reminded her so much of her Aunt Lara. She was an enthusiastic woman with a loud voice and a ready hug. She was full of energy and had an encyclopedic memory when it came to the many exhibits they saw. The whole afternoon she had an arm slung over Kara's shoulder as they walked around. She never missed a bit and joked around with Clark and Pete. She quickly made Kara feel at ease as if they have known each other for years instead of just a few hours. Kara learned that Chloe lived in Coast City and worked for a small nonprofit magazine that helps the veterans in the area. She was a public relations officer for the magazine and often helped organize the benefits and foundations that helped fund the small organization.

Pete Ross was bit more subdued compared to Chloe. Pete grew up and followed his mother into the field of Law. He was a corporate lawyer also in Coast City. While he used to be a very excitable young man times have taught him the virtue of patience and the power of silence. He was very good at putting people at ease but not appearing too jovial at the same time. He had a presence that screamed competency without arrogance. Kara got along with him very well. She loved hearing how goofy Clark was as a teenager. Pete took great pleasure in telling Kara how Clark discovered some of his powers. She especially enjoyed hearing about Clark lack of control concerning his heat vision and x-ray vision. Pete made a big deal to emphasize how Clark discovered these new superpowers around the onset of puberty and normally in the presence of pretty girls. Chloe teased Clark once more when Pete reminded them of how poor hormonal Clark had to walk with his eyes closed for a good part of a week until he learned to control his new vision powers.

The one person Kara was dying to meet was Lois Lane. From the time spent with her cousin, Kara is very aware of the massive crush her cousin have for Lois and she found the whole situation very cute. Alex and Kara would often tease Clark about Lois. It was very amusing for Alex to see the powerful Man of Steel turn red as a tomato from embarrassment whenever she started singing "Lois and Clark up in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G". It had become a part of their normal interaction. Every time Clark came to visit, Alex's first question to him is if he had asked Lois out on a date yet followed by many suggestions of how he can do it when Clark inevitably told her he hasn't. When Alex got the internship, she was somewhat disappointed to go because she wanted to meet Lois too. Alex made Kara promise that if she got a chance to meet the indomitable Lois Lane she must do all she can to fix up Lois and Clark together. Due to this, Clark was very hesitant to let Kara meet Lois. He has made several changes to some of their planned excursions to prevent the two from meeting.

However all his efforts were in vain when they accidentally ran into Lois while on their way back from dinner one evening? Clark and Kara were strolling through the many lit paths through Centennial Park after hitting some of the local food trucks when they ran into Lois who seems to be in the middle of a run. She was dressed casually in a pair of yoga pants topped off with a Metropolis University sweatshirt. Clark was in the middle of a story of how he tricked a villain into falling into his own trap when he was interrupted by a lilting voice.

"Clark is that you?"

Clark froze mid-sentence. His eyes bugging out. It didn't take Kara long to figure out that it was Lois who called out because Clark seems to change personalities right in front of her. Gone was her confident cousin who was just swaggering as he bragged about his "cool" Superman exploits and before her stood his clumsy Clark Kent persona.

"Oh hey Lois! How are you on this swell evening?"

Lois laughed a little at Clark's response. "I'm doing fine Clark. How has your vacation been and who is this with you?" Lois flashed Kara a large beaming smile that made Kara like her immediately.

"It's going great. This is my cousin Kara. We have been visiting some of Metropolis' sights and just hanging out."

Kara held out her hand to Lois and the older woman took it promptly. "Well I'm glad to meet you Kara. It's nice to finally put a face to a name. Clark has been talking about you a lot. He couldn't wait for you to get here. He kept bugging Jimmy and me all week for ideas on things the two of you can enjoy while you are here. I hope he hasn't been dragging you to all the boring sights."

Kara smiled back at Lois. "We have been having a great time. I'm also very glad to meet you. Clark talks about you all the time. He is always telling me and my sister Alex how amazing you are and how pretty and how your eyes are so ummph..."

Kara's words because quickly muffled when Clark wrapped her up in his arms with one of his hands covering her mouth. "And…that's enough of that. I'm sure Lois doesn't want to hear anymore. We should really be going Lois. Oh, golly look at the time. It's Kara's bedtime so we got to run."

Clark wasted no time hauling his younger cousin over his shoulder and running the opposite direction and away from Lois before Kara can say anything else. Lois smiled at Clark's retreating back and Kara's giggles as they moved away. Lois shook her head at her coworkers' antics but a small smile played upon her lips in amusement at their adorkableness.

Kara's stay with Clark had a dual purpose. She had some courses to finish up in Metropolis University under her Linda Zorel disguise. Clark taught her how to navigate the numerous bus lines and subway stations that she needed to use to get to campus and back to the apartment. Clark accompanied her for her first day. Once he was assured that she wouldn't get lost and after getting her assurance that she has his contact information if she needed to contact him Clark went back to work and Kara went to her first lab of the day. (For the duration of the chapter while she is on campus and anytime she deals with students from the university I will refer to Kara as Linda to reduce the amount of back and forths)

Adam Blake was filling in as a lab instructor for a friend who had to go home for the summer due to a family emergency. Betty has been a good friend and if he didn't fill in for her she would surely loose her scholarship. So rather than work on his Master's thesis that will be due at the end of fall semester he is babysitting an advanced engineering lab course. The roster shows only a handful of students, most of whom Adam has already met at one point or another on campus but the only oddity is the last minute addition. Linda Zorel. She is apparently a transfer from overseas somewhere and has a wealthy benefactor. Adam didn't know what to expect from her but according to her exam scores she is a brilliant student. The lab is scheduled to last for four hours. Adam knows that this a tentative schedule and it isn't unusual for the lab to end earlier. Adam sat in the back of the lab by the main generator and waited for the classroom to fill up before he began handing out the itinerary. While the lab final will be an individual project, there were some basic aspects that the university expect each student to grasp. Adam hopes to go over these concepts before the third week therefore giving the students the remaining 5 weeks to prepare and present their final projects. The students began to trickle in and they began to bunch up together into groups. Linda was the last person to come in. She took the lab bench furthest away from Adam and seems to keep to herself instead of attempting to socialize with the others. Adam was very surprise to see how young Linda was. He was a child prodigy himself but even Linda seems to have him beat by a few years. Once all the students are finally seated Adam began his quick course introduction.

The class passed quickly. Adam was pleased to note that all of the students seems capable of keeping up but he will be sure to keep an eye on a couple jokers just to head off any mischief they may have planned. He was very pleased to note that Linda had no problem whatsoever with the course material he presented and from the looks of things she may already be familiar with it. He decided to speak with the young lady at the end of the next class to determine how far ahead she is and if she were perhaps would like to get started on the final project sooner. As he walked out of his building past the bus stop and towards the faculty parking lot he noticed that Linda was standing at the bus stop all by herself. Deciding not to waste the opportunity, he approached the younger girl. He was very surprise to see that Linda is actually much younger than his first estimate. Initially he thought she must be around 15-16 but upon closer inspection she appears closer to 13. Further intrigued due to her young age, he was more determined than ever to discover more about his student.

"Hello there. I'm sorry to disturb you but I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Adam Blake I'm the substitute course instructor for your lab course."

Linda was preoccupied with trying to understand how she missed the scheduled bus. It seems Clark gave her the wrong schedule. She now has the dubious pleasure of waiting around for an extra 20 minutes for the next bus that would take her back to Clark's apartment. Mentally cataloguing the work that awaits her when she gets back because she was suppose to finish some work for correspondence course from the University of Aberdeen she didn't notice when a young man approached her.

Linda visibly startled at the voice beside her. She turned towards it and was surprise to find her lab instructor. "Hello. Yes I recognize you from the class that ended only a few minutes ago."

Adam smiled. "Well yes, of course. Anyway, I wanted to say that I'm glad to have you in class. I hope it won't be too hard for you to keep up."

Kara smiled at the nice young man. "Thank you that's nice of you to say. It looks like a…um…-nice class. I'm sure I'll be just fine."

Adam chuckled awkwardly at the way Linda phrased it. He could sense that it took Linda a few moments to decide on that particular adjective. "Yes it is a nice class and I'm sure you will be. I hope you don't mind but based on your performance today and how often I caught you correcting yourself and holding back your efforts you seem to already be familiar with the concepts we were discussing. In fact based on some of the notations you had at the edge of your lab book I would hazard to say you are already past the points we need to cover in class. So can you tell me why you are taking the class?"

Linda cringed then sighed. Alex was right. She sucks at being undercover. She didn't even last one class before someone noticed that she was holding back. Linda wanted to tell the young man he was just imagining things but when she looked into his eye, she felt a sense of curiosity, benevolence and understanding. She didn't feel suspicion or fear despite the fact that this man may have discovered her cover up. Linda decided to try something else. "Well I was told I had to take that class to move forward. I am familiar with the course material. I was home schooled for a large portion of my life and engineering was a particular favorite of my tutor. He was actually an engineer that worked for the Peace Corps."

Adam felt that Linda didn't tell him the complete truth but enough of it rang true to him that he decided to let the matter slide. "Alright. I can sort of understand that. I actually had a similar experience to you and my instructor at the time saw that I was a bit ahead and gave me more opportunities to finish up and offered me more options as well to accelerate my studies. I will always owe Dr. Garrett for his insight and in an effort to "pass it forward", I'd like to offer you the same option. In the next class period, after I give the other students the introduction lecture for the lab they are supposed to complete I'd like for you to come to the front station and I'll have a small project for you. If you can finish the project to my satisfaction I'll speak with Dr. Garrett who is now the department chair, into letting me set up a special accelerated schedule for you."

Linda beamed at Adam. "You'll do that for me? Why? You don't even know me."

Adam smiled at Linda's confusion. "As I said I'm passing on the good deed done to me by Dr. Garrett. I don't know what it is about you Linda but I get the feeling that I should help you. I can feel it. Someday you will be someone who is very powerful and you will help so many people."

"Alright then. Thank you Adam. I promise you will not regret this chance you have offered me. I will see you in class in a few days." Linda said agreeing to Adam's offer just as the bus she needed pulled up to the curb.

Adam watched the bus carrying Linda drive away before he began to walk to his car. For as long as he has known it he has always been able to sense about people like their intentions and he could sense nothing but good intentions when he looked at Linda. Satisfied with his good deed for the day he turned his mind to more important things, like what he should get for dinner.

The rest of summer flew by quickly. As it turns out Rao seems to be watching out for Kara because meeting Adam was truly a great turn of fate. Adam, with Dr. Garrett's assistance, was able to set Kara up on a course schedule that offered her the chance to test out of certain lab courses provided she can pass the profiency final that is normally given for the course and can show with a project her understanding of the concepts that would normally be covered during class. It allowed Kara to bypass several summers' worth of lab courses and she was that much closer to finishing of the first set of degrees that she had chosen to pursue. In return for Adam's assistance, Kara helped brainstorm with him ideas for his Master's thesis. Kara hinted at a few advances that maybe possible with the redirection of focus from one of his theories. Adam took the hint and before he knew it he as a good outline for his thesis paper that with all the research he has done in the past, he should be able to defend his thesis easily to finish off his Master's degree. At the end of the summer, Kara and Adam could be considered friends. The exchanged emails and promises to stay in contact especially since Adam may need a few more hints in the future.

I had more planned for this chapter unfortunately real life got in the way. I wanted to post this before too much time has lapsed. More coming as soon as possible. I am looking for a beta reader if anyone is willing to help me out.


	5. Chapter 5

Kara's Dilemma

Chapter Five

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Notes: Thank you to my beta Sonja. Your hard work has made this so much better.

Kara was happy to be back in Midvale. She was looking forward to the new school year. She was finally in the same building as Alex who, despite the fact that she is only 16, was already a senior. She was very excited because at the end of the previous school year the Danvers had petitioned the school board to see if she could test out to a higher grade and the school board agreed. While Kara decided not to test out of high school she did test to skip the rest of middle school altogether and is now on the same accelerated schedule as Alex.

Alex and Kara spent the night before the first day of school making plans for the following year. One of the main things they wanted to accomplish was to sign up for some extra-curricular activities. Alex had been on a few sporting teams the previous year and while sports was not an activity Kara was interested in she did express quite a bit of interest in the art and drama clubs. Clark also encouraged Kara to look into joining the school newspaper. An idea that Chloe heavily supported. Ever since their meeting in Metropolis, the two women had started a friendship. It began when Kara reached out to the other woman in an effort to get some blackmail photos of an awkward teenage Clark and it evolved from there. Kara loved having another person around who knew her secret. Chloe was able to offer her a unique point of view with regards to her growing powers.

Alex and Kara are going to be carpooling to and from school together. Over the summer unbeknownst to the girls, the adults in their lives made plans to purchase a small used jeep for the girls to use and share. While Kara isn't old enough to drive it she enjoys tinkering with the engine to help improve the design. Alex was just happy not having to walk anywhere and if Kara can somehow manage to improve her gas mileage then all the better.

Kara was a bit nervous as they pulled up into the school parking lot. Alex shut off the engine and glanced at her little sister's worried face. Kara looked over at her sister as Alex parked the car. Alex caught her sister's eye and smiled before grabbing the girl's hand.

"Don't sweat it Kara. We got this. Remember El Mayarah. Stronger together. There is nothing we can't do."

Kara smiled back before grabbing her backpack and opening the door.

"Right! If they give me a hard time I'll just melt their faces off."

Alex gave her sister a worried look before she noticed the mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"Funny girl. For a moment there, I thought you were serious. Oh, hey don't forget that after school we have to go to the appliance store. No complaints, it is after all your fault we have to get a new popcorn maker."

Kara nodded sheepishly. "Sorry Alex. I didn't mean to use my laser vision on our old one and blow it to oblivion. It just surprised me when the kernels started to pop. I was so focused on working out the new formula for the synthetic skin."

Alex laughed. "Don't worry about it! It is actually a great opportunity for us to upgrade the popcorn maker. This way we can get a bigger one to accommodate your... I mean "our" movie night popcorn requirements. Hopefully the new one will also do a better job of popping all of the kernels."

Once the girls reached the front door of the school, they dropped the conversation in favor of finding their lockers and their homeroom class before the late bell rang.

Karen gave Alex a quick hug before hurrying off to the other side of the building where her homeroom class was.

This year the school was implementing block scheduling which means the students have different schedules from day to day. While each class will be longer, there will also be fewer classes per day. They first have to report to their assigned homeroom class each morning to receive any special announcements and to get any changes to their schedule. The homeroom classes are assigned based on your grade and then by your last name.

Kara's classes are as easy as she expected. She and Alex unfortunately had different lunch periods so she did not get a chance to see her sister until the last class of the day let out. The first couple of days of high school are normally shorter days. It is set up as an introductory session and the classes are only about 3/4 as long as a standard class period. This leaves roughly an hour at the end of each day before the bus taking them home departs, where the students can go to the main quad where little booths have been set up by the student organizations and sports teams so that interested students can go and learn more about them and how to participate.

Kara made a beeline for the surfing club booth where she knew Alex and a few of her friends are hanging around. Alex gave her a half hug when she arrived before bidding good-bye to her friends and pulling Kara along to some of the booths lining the path.

"Alright Kara. What are you interested in trying out? We have glee club, art club, chess club, video games club, and oh so much more. Oh, look there is the school newspaper. You better start there or Chloe and Clark will never forgive you."

Kara followed Alex's finger as she pointed to the booth in the furthest corner from their current position. "Yes. Let's start there. I'm supposed to call Chloe later tonight and I want to be able to tell her I joined up."

Kara and Alex made their way to the small booth. There was two people sitting behind the small display, a boy and a girl. The girl turned towards them as they approached. "Hey guys! I'm Harper Vale. Thanks for stopping by. Are you interested in joining the Midvale Forum? We are currently looking for staff members to help cover the creative arts department and maybe help cover for the sports reporters when possible."

Kara waved shyly at the other girl and Alex took it upon herself to answer for the both of them. "Hey Harper! How are you? My sister is interested in joining but she isn't very familiar with most of the team sports enough to report on them but she is very interested in participating in any way she could. You mentioned the creative arts department I assume you mean drama club, glee, art shows, and so on right?"

Harper beamed at Alex and turned to Kara before answering, "That's right! It is supposed to be a very busy year for us. Rumor says we may have gotten a huge donation so they are planning on quite a few things. We even recently hired a new Band/Music director so we can expect some new and interesting things coming out of the music department. We heard that the drama club, budget permitting, would love to get at least a fall production as well as a spring production planned . The art classes and club are also planning a couple of different showings for the student art works. A new glee club is starting up. We just got Mr. Shuster who is a transfer from another high school. He was the director of a very successful glee program there and he is looking forward to building up our glee club here."

Kara beamed upon hearing about the new opportunities. She knew Bruce was the one who made the supposed donation and he did it anonymously. She was very happy that the money is being put to great use. Bruce had actually set up a small fund that is supposed to help support these programs for at least the next five years. He did this because he discovered how much Kara adored the art and writing classes she took the year before and he was disappointed with how underfunded those departments were.

Harper gestured to the boy sitting beside her. "This is Rick Wilson. He is the Assistant Editor-in-charge of Features. You will be turning in your stories to him. If you have any questions talk to him. He is in charge of training our new members." Kara reached over and took the boy's preferred hand while Alex just waved at him.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kara and this is my sister..."

"Hello Kara! It's very nice to meet you. Glad to have you on board! Hello Alex, it's nice to see you again. How was your summer?"

Alex smiled before answering. "Hey Rick! How are you? I'm sorry to hear we won't have biology together this year. My summer was busy but really good. I heard about your hospital stay over the summer are you doing better?"

Kara watched the interaction between her sister and the other boy. She watched as the boy blushed at the attention Alex paid him but it appears as if Alex was completely oblivious to the effect she has on the boy.

"It's been a rough summer but hopefully things will get better soon. I'm glad you had a good summer. Alright before I get carried away let me get your info Kara so we can get you all set up."

Rick wasted no time in getting Kara's information and promised to email her more information as to when the first meeting will be. Kara left the table with a sense of excitement. They proceeded to visit the art club table, drama club and a few tables Alex was interested in before moving on with the rest of their afternoon.

Kara and Alex was in charge of preparing dinner that evening so after setting up their new popcorn maker, the sisters collaborated to create chicken parmigiana with spaghetti. It didn't take long and by the time the chicken was ready both Eliza and Jeremiah has arrived. Dinner was a boisterous affair where the girls talked over one another describing their day. Jeremiah sat back and smiled his heart full of love for his family. He watched as Alex and Kara playfully tried to tease each other about a boy they spoke with earlier and his eyes wandered over to his wife whose face was graced with a similar smile. Jeremiah was so very glad that their decision to foster Kara has turned out so well for their family. He tried to think back to how it was before Kara's arrival just a short year ago but he has a hard time thinking back to those days of quiet contentment in face of such happiness he now feels. He quietly took out his phone took a quick snap shot of the girls joking around and sent Clark a quick message. He wanted to thank the man who unknowingly helped complete his family.

School has been in session for over two months now. Kara was settling in nicely and she loves her new extracurricular activities. Her classes are still ridiculously easy but the online college courses she was taking from over a dozen separate universities do a better job of providing her with a mental and academic challenge. She receives a call from Bruce at least once a week. He calls to check in with her and Alex and to ensure that they are following through with the physical training regimen he recommended. While a lot of information about martial skills and body formations and movements are floating around in Kara's head, she doesn't have the muscle memory or the skill to implement them just yet and Bruce has designed a regimen to help with this issue. She spends quite a bit of time with Bruce on the phone, as he cannot make the trip to Midvale too often without attracting undue attention. Clark has cut back on his visits from once a week to once every two weeks due to the increase of crime and activity in Metropolis. He has also received a promotion from junior reporter to full fledge reporter and with the promotion came along an increase in responsibilities at work. He may even be slated to go for a short stint to the European division to cover some violent flare ups that were happening all over Eastern Europe.

Kara was enjoying the new school year. She was very glad she joined the school newspaper as well. She and Rick worked closely to help Kara develop her writing style. Over the past couple months Kara and Rick had grown very close. Rick's quiet character made it easier for Kara to relate to him because he reminded her of her Uncle Jor-El and his heavy/moody silences. In the beginning, Kara had a hard time relating to Rick but upon learning that he was also adopted and had a tragic background of his own, she felt a sense of camaraderie with him. She knew that when he said he was sorry and he understood that he spoke the truth and it wasn't just lip service from the other students.

Kara was very surprised to learn that they had similar tragic personal histories. Rick was also adopted after Rick's parents died when he was very young from a horrific car accident. He was the only survivor of the horrific crash. Rick was happy to have someone to talk to and he was willing to open up to Kara about his experiences making it very easy for Kara to reciprocate. During the after school sessions for the school paper they would often spend hours going over the editing and writing process and while working they would talk. Rick spoke of the devastating loss he felt upon waking up in the hospital and realizing that his parents were gone and they were never coming back. He spoke of his bouts anger and loneliness at being left behind. He spoke of regrets he had. Regret that he never got to say good bye or to tell his parents how much he loved them. This made Kara appreciate that despite the rushed moments in the end she at least got to say her farewells and got the opportunity to tell her mom she loved her. She can understand the anger and she would often feel like her whole being is filled with anger. Why spare only her? Why didn't they build bigger pods? Why not come with her and Kal-El? Rick helped Kara understand that the anger she feels is natural and is part of the grieving process. He even urged her to talk to her family or a friend about the her feelings and to let them help her understand her feelings. Kara took his advice and opened up to the Danvers' and in the process she truly began to feel joy and belonging as if she were truly now part of their family. This new closeness also brought feelings of guilt. Once more Rick helped Kara understand. Rick taught her that it was alright to smile and to think of the Danvers' as her parents. Rick spoke of how his therapist made him realize that his parents would never begrudge him the happiness he is feeling in fact they would want him to be happy and to grow beyond the horrible things that has happened to him. He helped Kara realize that Eliza and Jeremiah was not there to replace her parents but they are there to love her nonetheless.

She was very thankful for Rick because not only did he help her find her voice when writing but he also helped her move on from her grief and to accept the love the Danvers' offered and to give them her love back. Rick also showed her how to find beauty and happiness in every day things and people around her and to appreciate it because life can be short and wouldn't it be better to find joy in every little thing than to find joy in very little.

All the time she spent working with Rick had made her more confident in her writing and now she was willing to volunteer for more story assignments. She offered to cover the upcoming school play. Alex had recently introduced her to the High School Musical series and she loved it. She was very excited to see a real life school play, so when the story was brought up during the production meeting she immediately volunteered to cover it. A rendition of Fiddler on the Roof featuring a very modern and unconventional twist. She was supposed to meet up with the student stage manager so she could get an idea of the amount of work that goes on in the background of the production. She arrived at the agreed upon location fifteen minutes early. She hoped to get a few minutes to get her notes together and prepare a question list for her interview. Kara had just settled down against one of the larger sets pieces that was being readied when a couple of people also entered the area. She instantly recognized one of the voices as the new art director she met just the other day and the other was the student stage manager she was supposed to interview. She quickly gathered her things but before she could stand up and call out to them, she was silenced by the anger and frustration she heard from the student's voice.

"This is absolutely ridiculous! How did this happen? I thought we got the permission to put on this play but now this. How can we not have enough money in the budget for the music rights? Also, does this mean we won't have funds for the spring play either? What happened to all the money they promised us?"

Mr. Meeks, the art director just sighed. "I know Justin. Please believe me when I say I am as disappointed but according to the books the donation that was promised didn't go through so even though we have started casting and practicing unless we can raise $10000 before the first rehearsal in four days there is no way we will have the rights to use the songs on the play much less perform them for an audience."

The man's words thoroughly confused Kara because she knew that Bruce made the donation as promised and had even set up a self-managing foundation so that there should be enough funds in the account to support the entire creative arts program for the next five years. Something was very wrong and Kara intended to get to the bottom of things.

Kara wanted to get started immediately but she needed more information. She picked up her bag which still laid by her foot and she made sure to make some noise while she did so to warn the other two of her presence.

"Who's there?" Justin called out.

"Hi, it's just me Kara. Kara Danvers I have an appointment to meet with Justin Summers about the school play."

"Oh right! Sorry about that. I'm Justin but I'm afraid we may not have a school play. We have run into some funding issues and unless we can resolve it the play will have to be cancelled." Justin answered her apologetically.

"Oh wow! How did that happen? I thought the budgets for any school plays and events like this is figured out during the summer. Didn't they already agree to the funding before you guys started casting?" Kara asked even though she already knew the answer.

"Yes that's true." Mr. Meeks answered Kara. "We initially had planned for two shows this year and we even got the go ahead from the school principal but I was just informed today that the promised funds were withdrawn so we don't have enough to cover the equipment and the cost of the play's rights. Unless we can raise the funds ourselves in the next few days or so we will have to cancel everything."

Kara made some notes on her ever-present notepad given to her by Clark. "I'm very sorry to hear that Mr. Meeks. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help."

Justin laughed deprecatingly at her offer. "Well unless you can get us the money we need there isn't much we can do. I was really looking forward to this play. I know it's early still but we have already spent so much time preparing for it and now it's going to be for nothing."

Mr. Meeks reached over and patted the younger man on the back. "There, there Justin. Hang in there don't give up hope yet. We still have some time."

Kara took her leave of the two men and headed straight for her locker and for her cell phone; she had a few phone calls to make. It didn't take her long to dial Bruce's number. She wasn't exactly sure how to bring up the fact that the money he donated might have gone missing but she needed to confirm that he did donate the money. It wasn't long before her call was answered.

"Master Bruce's phone. This is Alfred. How may I help you?"

"Hi Alfred. It's Kara! How are you? I hope you liked the sugar cookies that Alex and I sent you."

"Ah Young Miss Kara. How wonderful to hear from you. I thank you for your care package. It was delicious. I shared it with Master Bruce and Master Dick and they also enjoyed it. I apologize for holding you up. Let me get Master Bruce for you. He is "downstairs" and he seems to have forgotten to take his cellphone with him."

Kara smiled at the way Alfred said downstairs. She knew he meant the bat-cave and she always found the euphemisms he uses when referring to Bruce's alter ego and the items and activities that goes along with his super hero identity.

"Hello Kara! I'm glad you called. I had planned to call you later tonight after dinner. I sent you some new meditation practices that can help with some of the sensory issues you have been encountering. You calling now saves me the trouble later."

Kara smiled at Bruce's jovial voice. "Hi Bruce! Thank you for that I'm sure it'll come in very handy. I had some free time today after my interview and I wanted to talk to you about the donation you made to my school."

"Oh Kara I told you it was my pleasure. I am always happy to help the youth of the future. Be sure to let me know if there is anything else you need or if you think more funding may be necessary. I had set it up so that the school board treasurer has all the information about the accounts and how to contact me in the future."

Kara didn't know how to proceed. She had gotten the confirmation that Bruce did follow through with the donation as he intended. The question now was where was the money he donated. She was happy she called because at least now she had a place to start. Not wanting to alert Bruce that anything was wrong just yet, she quickly thanked him again for his generous gift and bid him and Alfred goodbye. Bruce has taught her that it is not enough to acknowledge the problem but it is a great idea to have some ideas or solutions before bringing it up to others so that a small issue need not be a huge one later due to panic and fear.

Kara knew she needed help with the investigation so she went through her mental list of people who can help her and the first person that came to mind was Chloe who has been her main supporter with regards to all things related to the school newspaper. Her call to Chloe went directly to Chloe's voicemail. She then remembered that Chloe and Pete was on a camping trip with one of the groups they volunteer for and were incommunicado while out in the woods and won't be back for at least a week. Quickly ending her call, she tried to call Clark next but just like Chloe, her call went straight to voicemail. Thinking he may be out doing "super" stuff, she resolved to call him back again later. She put her phone away and quickly got the rest of the books she needed for the day before slamming her locker close.

"Hey Kara what did the locker do to you? Aren't you supposed to be at the interview with the school play? Is it over already?" Kara quickly spun around to face Rick. "Oh hey Rick. Yeah interview didn't really happen. As it turns out we may not have a school play..." Kara then proceeded to tell Rick what she had discovered she of course hid some facts like the true source of the money and how she found out by saying that a reputable source told her the donation was made as promised. Once she finished her retelling, Rick remained quiet for a bit before speaking up. "Wow! All right well we have a place to start so let's begin there. Your source said that the school treasurer had access to the accounts and what not so let's go to the school board offices we should be able to get minutes of the school board meetings since those are a matter of public record. This will help us track down what may have happened and who may be involved."

Kara and Rick made their way down the street to the school board offices, which was attached to the elementary school campus. It didn't take long to get the minutes of the meetings they wanted since Rick's neighbor was the one of the secretaries in the office. He offered to help with water her garden while she is on vacation if she agreed to make copies of the relevant minutes. Kara and Rick then headed to the local library and go over the papers there. It took the better part of the hour but they discovered that it was the school treasurer, Suzy Michaels, who told the school board that the donation was canceled. It was getting late so Rick and Kara decided to meet up the following morning (Saturday) to follow up on what they have found so far. They decided to meet up at the library just after breakfast. Kara spent most of the night wide-awake. Her imagination running amok imagining all the crazy scenarios that she could come up with which may or may not include the devastated faces of the drama students and the rest of the school. She imagined their tear stained cheeks as some faceless monster ran away with a large bag filled to overflowing with pot stickers and money bills. Kara was up bright and early. She was at the front steps of the library even before the library opened. Rick was a bit late to their meet up stating that he had a bit of trouble getting up that morning. Rick had further news for Kara. Upon further inquiries to his neighbor, he discovered that the treasurer had gone on a sabbatical for personal health reasons shortly after the new school year had started. He also found out that the woman lived not too far from the center of town. His neighbor didn't know too much about the woman only that the treasurer has moved into town not even a year ago with her husband. Kara and Rick decided to check up on the woman. They didn't really have any plans in mind but when they arrived at the woman's house, they found more things that raised more questions. It seems that the woman's house was undergoing some massive reconstructions. The backyard seems to be in the process of being excavated while the front of the house was getting new siding. Not wanting to be caught they stealthily took a few pictures using a camera that Kara borrowed from Alex and they took off. Rick bid Kara goodbye shortly after they left the treasurer's home. He told her he didn't feel very good and his pale complexion seems to support his words. They promised to keep each other appraised of any new developments. Kara started to walk home and as she walked to she went over all the things she recently discovered and she realized that these matters are a tad more serious than she imagined. She decided that upon reaching home she would contact Clark and ask him for help.

She tried her cousin's cell phone but it went straight to voicemail again. She then tried to call his desk at the Daily Planet. An operator who transfers her call to his desk answered her call. Kara's mind kept going over the information she gathered while the phone rang in her ear and then her over active imagination took over once more. As the phone seems to ring forever and for every moment that passed more and more scenarios ran through her mind. She imagined more and more complicated and impossible scenarios and her panicked level also increased exponentially. By the time the phone was finally answered, Kara was on a verge of a panic attack and quickly spoke the moment the call was picked up even before Clark can say a word. "Oh Clark! It's Kara. I have a huge problem! There is an evil monster here and they stole all the drama club money! I need your skills to help them and save the school play."

Lois was just finishing some final touches on her latest story when her concentration was broken by the sound of the phone ringing across from her. She was about to shout for Clark to answer his phone when she recalled that Clark wasn't going to be in the office for the foreseeable future. It took only a moments consideration before Lois reached for Clark's phone. She didn't even get a chance to speak before the voice of a young girl came over the line. Lois smiled as she recalled the adorable girl who she met over the summer along with the girl's teasing smirk. Her smile fell when she heard the panic in Kara's words.

"Woah Kara! It's Lois. I'm sorry but Clark isn't available. He left for Budapest this morning and will be gone all week but maybe I can help in his stead."

Kara hesitated for a moment but then she remembered the urgent deadline that the drama club is facing and decided that she didn't have time to wait for Chloe or Clark to return from their respective trips. She also didn't want to tell Bruce the bad news without being able to give him more information about it. He always thought her that problems can be solved you just have to be willing to look for solutions. The horrifying scenarios she came up with also came back to the forefront of her memories. What clinched her decision was remembering all the stories that Clark has told her with regards to Lois' skill as an investigative reporter and she decided that Lois is actually the perfect person for the job. It didn't take Kara long to tell Lois what she has discovered. It also didn't take Lois long to assure Kara that she is willing to help. Lois also warned Kara not to do anything more until she gets there. She promised that she will be on the first available flight out she just needed to tie up some loose ends in Metropolis and then she will be on the way to Midvale.

Kara gave a sigh of relief once she finished her phone call. She made the motion to put her phone away when it chimed with a message from Eliza. The sight of her adoptive mother's name made Kara freeze mid-motion. Oh, she was in a world of trouble and not even Rao may be able to help her. The scope what she has done finally hit Kara as she quickly made her way home. She was trying to convince herself that Eliza and Jeremiah will be fine hosting one of the best investigative reporters in the country in their home without any warning and it would not be any problem hiding Kara's super abilities from said investigative reporter. What can possibly go wrong?

Lois quickly finished her article, saved it and send it to Perry along with a short email with vague details on a lead she just received. She promised the man to keep him updated but she will otherwise be out of town and maybe hard to reach for the next few days. Lois briefly considered leaving a Clark a message via the news desk in the Budapest office but decided against it until she found out what exactly she was facing because she knows the minute he gets that message Clark will fly back immediately. Yes, Lois knows about Clark's secondary identity. She has known for a while now but she hasn't told Clark. There were many reasons why not but the largest one is she wanted Clark to share that secret with her when he is ready and in the mean time she will enjoy baiting the man by dropping hints and double entendres.

She smiled thinking of how adorkable Clark and Kara were together. She could tell how much Clark cared about his little cousin. He is always talking about her and he is so proud of her. Apparently, the little girl is a certified genius and Clark is beyond excited to host the little girl during the summers while she attended classes at Metropolis University. Lois loved that Clark is willing to make so many changes to his lifestyle to accommodate his family. Just a few weeks ago, she helped him find a new apartment one that had two bedrooms so that when Kara and her sister came during the summers they could have their own space and privacy. She even helped him pick out some of the furniture to go in the bedroom including a bunk bed and colorful coverlets/bed covers. Seeing Clark and Kara together that one time in the park also brought a smile to Lois' face. Kara was a beautiful girl with the same amazing blue eyes as Clark. You can see the joy and intelligence in them along with quite a bit of mischief as well. Thoughts of the girl's smiling visage reminded Lois of the seriousness of the situation the young girl has found herself in now. While Kara may be young, her instinct seems to be on par with Clark's. Lois is very concerned and based on what Kara has told her so far she already has an inkling as to what happened to the money. She really hoped she is wrong and it is just a clerical error but knowing how these things can go she is pretty sure some sort of foul play is in the works. The way Kara sounded over the phone also encouraged Lois to hurry with her preparations. Lois knows the sound of panic and there was fear and anger in Kara's voice. As she gathered the last of her things and headed for the elevator a sense of purpose filled Lois. She will help Kara in any way she can.

Kara got home and started to clean the whole first floor. When she finished the main floor, she went into the garage and proceeded to clean there too as well as hide anything that might indicate her otherness. Once she was satisfied with the state of things, she went upstairs and stared to make sure that the guest room is ready to go. It was while cleaning this room that Jeremiah came home and found her.

"Hey sweetie! What's going on?"

Kara froze mid-motion. "Hey Jeremiah! You are home now. It so early. I thought you had to go into work today to catch up? How are you? Did you have a good day at work? Did you need anything? Do you need slippers? I saw a TV show the other day and they offered the dad slippers and a pipe but you don't smoke but maybe you still want the slippers and no one just offered it to you? I'm sorry I never offered slippers before maybe we should get a dog. The dog on TV gave the dad slippers too."

Before Kara can continue to ramble, Jeremiah came up to his youngest and engulfed her in a hug while chucking.

"Kara! Kara, sweetheart, slow down. I'm good. Work was good and no I don't need slippers." Once Kara calmed down and settled into his hug, he spoke again.

"So why don't you tell me what's really going on and why are you so nervous?"

Kara looked up at her adopted father before sighing and leaning in further into the man.

"I found a problem at school yesterday. It was a really big and sad problem and I called Clark to ask for help because it seemed like the right thing to do and he could help with it because he is an awesome reporter but he wasn't there. He went to Budapest; did you know he was going to Budapest? He didn't tell me, and Lois answered and I wasn't thinking straight because I was scared the drama club was going to give up and close up shop and I was sure there was an evil monster involved and Mr. Meeks and Justin from the drama club were really really sad and angry and I ended up telling her all about it and now Lois is coming and I may have offered her the use of our guest room while she is here."

Jeremiah stared at Kara in stunned silence. It took him a moment to untangle the large number of rambling sentences Kara threw at him but once he does, he could only shake his head. He has seen Clark get in over his head over the years and he really should have expected this would be the same for Kara because extraordinary people tend to attract extraordinary circumstances but he is still shocked that it happened so quickly and without any warning. He sometimes forgot that despite all of Kara's abilities Kara is a young teenager and is susceptible to making bad calls. The things that can go wrong began to run through his mind but before he could get carried away, he realized that he first must assure his youngest who is looking at him all scared and timid-like.

"Alright. Well, that's just... swell, so what do we need to do first? What time is Lois coming? Have you told Alex and your mom yet? Did you want me to try and contact Clark?"

Kara smiled in relief that Jeremiah wasn't mad. "Lois is coming in tonight at around 8. Her flight is landing at seven and she planned to get a rental from there so she will have a car to use while here. I think we should wait to contact Clark. Lois should be able to help just as well as Clark can and we cannot risk his secret identity. It will bring up a lot of question if he magically shows up in Midvale when he is supposed to be in Budapest."

Jeremiah looked at his watch. "Alright that gives us roughly 8 hours to make sure the house is ready and it gives you at least 6 hours to tell your mother and sister. This way they will have an hour or so to get the panic and surprise out of their systems. Oh no Little Missy! Your pout will not work this time. You made this mess you get to tell Eliza all about it. You know how she can be when we have guests in the house. Leave me out of it. I'm going to the store to get things for dinner so that is at least one thing we don't have to worry about tonight. How does lasagna sound?" Jeremiah smiled at his daughter's pout. He gave her another quick hug before heading off to the kitchen to at least clean up there a little and to get a head start on dinner.

Kara is in a slight panic. Lois is due to arrive anytime. The house is as ready as it's going to get. The main public areas of the house has been cleaned up and any signs of Alex and Kara's advance studies or super abilities have been shifted either to the basement or to their bedrooms. Any special equipment they have used to measure her powers have also been similarly dealt with. Eliza has already expressed her disappointment about not being asked about hosting a guest. Alex has already run through several different scenarios of what to do if Lois finds out Kara's secret and threatens to expose her to the world that may or may not include lifetime imprisonment in the Fortress of solitude being fed only red jello until the end of time. Kara shook her head at her sister's oddities and but her heart swelled at the extremes Alex is willing to go to ensure her safety and happiness. They are as ready as they can be. Kara is even wearing the set of glasses that Jeremiah made for her in case she loses control of her powers. The lead imbedded into the frame and lenses will ensure a secondary barrier that can help her regain control. Kara desperately wished that Bruce and Barbara finished making the red sun bracelets they had planned on building to ensure she didn't slip up. Kara sat by the front door and tuned her hearing as much as she could for the sound of Lois' arrival. She was up on her feet and had the door open before Lois has even placed the car into park.

Lois pulled up next to a two-story house at the end of the street. It had a large front yard and the back yard seems to drop off into the cliffs facing the ocean. It was a beautiful home and it was well cared for. She barely pulled in before the front door opened and a familiar blond girl came running out of the house to greet her.

"Lois! You are here! Come inside my par…Eliza and Jeremiah wants to meet you. I'm so glad you can come and help me."

Lois gave a small smile as the young girl pulled her along giving her just long enough to grab her large overnight bag from the car.

"Slow down Kara, sweetie! There's no hurry I'm happy to be here to help."

Kara slowed down and blushed prettily before reaching for Lois' overnight bag and carrying it for her before the other woman can complain. Alex who had a smirk on her face met them at the door.

"So this is the famous Lois Lane. Clark did not do you any justice but then again he tends to be a bit tongue tied when you are the subject matter. He also tends to lose track of what he is talking about when he starts thinking about you."

Kara tried to rush Alex to stop the older girl from saying anything else. "Alex no! Clark will kill you!"

Lois laughed at their antics. "Don't worry Kara I'm very aware of Clark's tendencies to trip over his words. I'm sure nothing Alex, was it? Will reveal could possibly be a surprise."

Alex laughed. "I like her. She is so much cooler than I expected. She also sounds like she has some dirt on Clark and that is something I need!" Alex reaches up, slings her arm around Lois, and ushers the woman into the home while Kara brings in Lois' luggage only remembering at the last minute she is supposed to struggle with the bulky bag.

Lois shook her head internally as she watched Kara pretend to struggle with the weight of her bag. She had her suspicions based on some things that Clark has mentioned that Kara is "super" special like him. She made a note to pay closer attention and to make sure to put Kara's mind at ease. It's one thing to mess with Clark but it is another to have a girl living in fear of being exposed and losing her family. She decided to ask to speak to the Danvers' after dinner to clear things up. She got the impression and with how quickly and panicked Kara was earlier that her invitation to stay in the family home was an impromptu one and a single glance at the pinched look at Eliza Danvers' face confirmed her suspicion.

Jeremiah stepped up when Lois got closer. "Ms. Lane it's a pleasure to have you here. Kara told us a bit of what's going on and we wanted to thank you for your assistance."

Lois smiled and shook the man's proffered hand. "Thank you Mr. Danvers. I'm happy to help in any way I can after all Clark is one of my best friends and you are all family to him. If you can't count on family who can you count on?"

Kara beamed at hearing Lois' words and spoke up without thinking. "Exactly! El Mayarah! See I told you it would be all right Alex! Family helps here just like on Kryp..."

Alex's fast reflexes allowed her to cover Kara's mouth but not before it was too late. Lois smiled at the girl's words. It was the confirmation she was looking for and if the look on the girl's face and that of her family's faces this was not a secret that she was supposed to share. Deciding to help ease their fears and concerns Lois decided to move up that talk she planned to have with them to sooner rather than later.

"Krypton does seem to place a lot of emphasis on family or so I gathered from Superman er Clark's words in the past. Also don't worry I already knew or suspected your "super" secret and I promise it will stay a super secret. No one shall learn of it from me unless you give me your explicit permission to tell anyone."

Kara dropped the bag she is carrying on the floor before rushing Lois for a hug. Alex wasn't far behind. "See I just knew you were going to be awesome."

Jeremiah and Eliza shared a look and a sigh of relief. Eliza broke their gaze and looked to the reporter who is still in her daughters' embrace. "Welcome to our home Lois. We are glad to have you here. Why don't we get you settled so we can have some dinner and discuss the problem that Kara called you for?"

Once dinner is over Lois and Kara sat down in the living room so that they can go over the information that Kara had. Lois was impressed with the amount of information Kara managed to obtain in such a short notice. She also appreciated the efforts Kara and her friend, Rick, went through to verify some of the information already. She told Kara of her plan to re-visit town hall and school board offices the following day in an effort to get access to the minutes or records of the school board meetings from the past few months as well as to get more information on the former treasurer. Lois promised Kara to keep her in the loop of anything she discovers, which made the younger girl very happy.

The following day Lois did as she promised Kara. Her first visit was to town hall where she was able to get copy of the minutes of the public school board hearing that mentioned the donation and/or cancellation of it. Next, she called a "friend" who managed to track down more information about school board treasurer. By lunchtime, her "source" found quite a bit of dirt on their industrious treasurer. As it turns out Suzy Michaels used to be Suzanne McLellan and she is someone who is under investigation and suspicion for a similar crime in Opal City. A quick phone call to Opal city and more corroborating evidence was uncovered that damns the treasurer further. Lois quickly gathered up her resources and calls a contact she had to the FBI. Due to the fact that the treasurer had potentially committed crime on a federally funded establishment and because it happened in two different states the FBI would definitely have to be called in.

It did not take long for Special Agent Meyers to go over the files that Lois has found and in exchange for her help, the Agent promised Lois an exclusive when they finally got the ball rolling. Satisfied with her results Lois once more headed back to the Danvers' home. Kara met her at the front door as soon as she got out of her car.

"LOIS! You're back! How did it go? What happened? What did you find?" Kara quickly spat out in a blur not giving Lois the opportunity to answer any of her questions before jumping to the next question.

Lois smiled and placed her hand over the younger girl mouth similarly to how Clark often would cover her mouth when she gets into one of her babbling modes.

A muffled "Sorry!" issued forth from the young teen before Lois removed her hand. "It's alright Kara. I have a lot to tell you why don't we go inside and see the others that way I only have to tell it once." Lois followed Kara into the house and as she closed the door, she can hear the young girl screaming for the rest of her family to meet up in the living room because Lois has news for them all.

Lois entered the living room just as the rest of the Danvers' clan came in as well and it didn't take long for everyone to settle into seats their full attention focused on Lois. Lois quickly went over what she found in her investigation and at the end of her narrative, she expected a positive exclamation of excitement from Kara only to be disappointed by the suddenly quiet girl.

"Kara, sweetie, did you hear what I said? I said the FBI would be here by tomorrow or by first thing Tuesday morning to finish up the investigation. They will probably need some help from you but with all said and done, they should be able to wrap everything up by next week. The evil treasurer won't get away with this."

"Oh Lois this is horrible! It's great that they will catch the bad lady but there is no way to get the money back by Monday morning so that the school play won't have to be canceled."

Lois didn't know what to say. She failed to fully consider the effect this event truly had on the people the money was supposed to go to she was just after the truth. While justice will be served and the funds will (mostly) be recovered, it will most definitely not be in time for the Drama club deadline. The solution to the problem came from Alex.

"Oh Kara! It'll be alright! I have an idea. First we have a phone call to make." Alex said as she stood up and beckoned her younger sister to follow her to the kitchen and to bring her phone.

Kara followed her sister. By the time, she got to the kitchen Alex was already dialing.

"Who are you calling Alex?"

Alex smirked, "I'm calling Bruce. I figured since he made the original donation he may be willing to help out with a small loan to the Drama club until the funds he originally donated could be recovered."

Kara beamed at this answer. "That's a great idea Alex!"

Alex's smile grew. "Good! I am glad you like it. Now stick close…Oh hey Bruce! Kara has something to tell you... hold on... Here you Kara since you agree it's a great idea then you can share it with Bruce while I tell the others' the plan."

Kara stared dumbfounded at her sister as Bruce's voice came over the phone. "Kara? What's going on? Hello? Is anyone there?"

The following day (Sunday) Kara wanted to go over to Rick's house and tell him what Lois discovered. Lois left right after breakfast and Kara headed off towards Rick's house not long after. It did not take long because he lived just a few blocks over and she was very excited to share her news that not only have they helped find the embezzler but she also managed to help secure a temporary loan for the Drama club. Kara knocked on the door to Rick's house. Mrs. Wilson, Rick's mom, promptly answered it. Kara can tell that the woman is very upset and more than likely has been crying just moments before based on the puffiness around her eyes.

"Hello Kara, can I help you?" The woman asked Kara and at the raspy quality to her voice, Kara knew her earlier assessment was correct.

"Hi. Mrs. Wilson and I'm looking for Rick. I have some news for him that couldn't wait until I see him tomorrow."

At the mention of Rick's name, the woman once more broke down into tears. Kara quickly leapt forward to hug the wailing woman and in between her heaving sobs, she told Kara the reason for her tears. Rick is in the hospital.

Rick was only 10 when his parents died. They were in car accident. His father inexplicably lost control of the car and in the crash Rick suffered a head injury. It was by complete accident that they discovered an abnormal growth in his front temporal lobe. It was found benign at the time. None of the tests they ran at the time indicated any malignant symptoms so he was deemed healthy and sent on his way. He was fostered and later adopted by the Wilsons. It had been a rough couple of years but things are starting to look up. Mr. Wilson has recently received a promotion at work and the whole family was planning on an extended vacation during the upcoming winter holidays but over the last few weeks things have taken a drastic downturn. The benign tumor may not be so benign after all. Rick has been suffering massive headaches and some dizziness. The other night shortly after he got home from his outing with Kara he suffered a massive seizure and was rushed to the hospital. He was in an unresponsive state when he was admitted and he still hasn't come out of it.

Kara was devastated upon hearing Rick's state. The phone rang somewhere in the house and Mrs. Wilson detached herself from Kara's loose embrace to answer it. Kara was startled by Mrs. Wilson's cry of delight. Kara quickly tuned into the excited voice on the other end that spoke of how Rick is awake and is fully cognizant of his surroundings. He is feeling much better but the doctors are still concerned and wishes to set up some tests because they believe that the tumor in Rick's brain may be worsening and they will hopefully have good news once the results are in. Mrs. Wilson quickly hung up. "It is great news. I'm going to get changed real quickly and head over to the hospital can I drop you off at your house on the way?"

Kara politely declined before leaving. She is still in shock to find out that Rick is so sick. Most ailments regarding genetic abnormalities have been eradicated on Krypton. Most of the genetic processes performed during embryo cultivation ensures that the most common gene sequences that can lead to abnormal/cancerous growth is outright eliminated. If by any chance any cancerous tumors begin to develop due to outside factors, they have extensive scanning technologies. Krypton's medical facilities are also equipped with stem cell and gene therapies that can help treat these abnormal growths. Children are so very precious on Krypton so they tend to undergo bi-monthly examinations to ensure that their increasingly toxic environment is not harming the young ones.

Once Kara got home, she immediately headed towards the basement and to the reference books and journals that Eliza had to do research on cancer. She wanted to know the factors that may cause them as well as what medical interventions and examinations are currently available.

Eliza was in the kitchen when Kara rushed past her to the basement entrance. Concerned that something happened to her, Eliza followed Kara downstairs only to find Kara hauling numerous volumes of her medical textbooks and asking for the newest medical journals that mention cancer. Eliza quickly gathered the material that Kara asked for. She recognized the frenzied look in Kara's eyes as the same look she had when she was searching for a solution to the oil spill mess. Eliza decided to leave Kara be for now and vowed to check back in a few hours. Once Kara finished her preliminary research, she knows Kara will come to her and Jeremiah with further questions.

Eliza brought down to the basement a serving tray filled with several sandwiches and a pitcher of lemonade. She set down her load beside the fully ladened table that Kara is using. She placed her hands on Kara's shoulder before brushing a soft kiss on her head.

"Kara, honey I have your lunch. Why don't you take a quick break and eat something. I'll stay with you while you eat. If you are up to it I'd love to hear what brought on this frenzied searching."

Kara smiled at Eliza as she set aside the book she is perusing all the while reaching for the plate of grilled cheese sandwiches that Eliza brought. "Thank you so much! I'm starving. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I smelled the food as you were bringing down the stairs. I'm not ready to talk about it yet. I have a few more things I want to look into. Would you and Jeremiah mind setting aside some time for me after dinner. I should be ready by then and I have a list of questions."

Eliza nodded and smiled back at Kara. "That's fine sweetie. I'll tell your dad when he gets home. He and Alex when for a hike and they should be back soon for lunch. If you need anything I'll be upstairs in the office. I have some paperwork to finish." Eliza gathered up the empty dishes and after giving Kara's arm another reassuring squeeze she headed up the stairs a bit worried about the confusion and weariness she saw in Kara's eyes.

Dinner that night was a rushed affair. Alex had plans with some of her friends and left right after dinner. Jeremiah and Eliza settled into the living room with some soothing music playing in the background while they did some light reading just enjoying each other's company. Kara did not come up for dinner. She was still ensconced in the basement lab/study area. Eliza brought her some food with a gentle reminder that additional food will be left in the oven to stay warm if she wanted more food. Eliza had just finished the article she was reading when she heard the door to the basement open and close. Kara quickly entered the room clutching half a dozen books and journals in her arm.

Jeremiah cleared his throat as he set aside his book. His full attention focused on Kara. "Hey Kara, what have you got there sweetheart?"

Kara gently set down the items she was holding. She picked up a journal and handed it over to Jeremiah. It was an article on some of the most recent and innovative testing procedures being used by the Mayo clinic to help with early diagnosis forms of cancer.

Jeremiah quickly read the relevant article before passing the journal to Eliza. Once Eliza finished skimming the article, she turned to Kara.

"Earlier today I went over to my friends' Rick's house. You remember Rick, right? Well he wasn't home. He was actually in the hospital. His mom was all broken up about it. He was really sick. They think he has a form of cancer from a tumor he had but they aren't sure. They found the tumor by accident and it did not seem to be doing anything so they didn't try to take it out but now it maybe what's making him really sick. I wanted to see if I could help. They have some medical techniques from home that I can maybe adapt but I am not sure how to go about it. We didn't have cancer because we had gene therapy to help reprogram any malfunctioning cells and we had excellent detection procedures to catch the issues before they get bad."

Eliza was the medical expert so she spoke up first. "Kara as wonderful as that sounds I'm not sure if the current state of medical technology can keep up. It wasn't until just a few years ago that we finally mapped the human genome sequence and we are still years away from creating effective gene therapy to do what you are proposing. However, we may be able to do something about early detection and examination techniques. Why don't you sit by me and explain your ideas?"

Over the next few weeks, several things happened. The drama club had a successful show. The FBI finally arrived and arrested Suzy Michaels and her co-conspirator husband; the funds were recovered and returned. Lois got her exclusive and Clark came home from Budapest. Kara would often go to the hospital carrying snacks for Rick and news about the happenings around school especially the school newspaper. Things have been steadily declining for Rick. The tests the doctors ran confirmed that the previously benign tumor has turned malignant and not only that but it has also spread throughout his central nervous system. They believe that surgery may help but the current techniques are not precise enough to ensure that all the tumors will be removed without significant risk to Rick. They are willing to attempt it anyway but they are giving the procedure only 3% chance of succeeding with an almost 100% guaranteed chance of paraplegia for Rick even if they were to succeed. Rick's family was desperate but they aren't' sure if this is the right move for Rick. A doubt that Rick shared and when asked he expressed his extreme dislike for this option.

Kara and Rick spent many afternoons just talking. They would discuss things around school but more often than not Rick would ask Kara how she is settling with the Danvers. Kara appreciated this opportunity to talk about her fears and concerns about her new family and despite the vague terms and references she used to express how important blood family is to her Rick understood. Rick's words of advice made her understand that family isn't just those who share your blood but it should also include those who are willing to share their heart, hopes and dreams with you.

Kara and Eliza worked on their project amidst all the other things that Kara and Alex had to do for their additional university courses. The procedure they helped develop is slated to go for initial testing phase within the following six months. Eliza is constantly amazed by Kara's ideas, she is helping create new medical manuals, and technology to take full advantage of Kara's knowledge but it is still very slow going. It is not due to lack of want but due to the lack of infrastructure to sustain and perform the therapies and treatment plans, they can create using Kryptonian knowledge

It has been a couple of months since Kara discovered the issue with the drama club funds. Rick has been in and out of the hospital several times. Just a few days ago, he was once again readmitted after he fainted and his family panicked when he wouldn't wake up. Rick was released by the hospital to be with his family because they didn't have any other treatment options to offer him. Rick wanted to spend his last days with his family at home however, this last fainting spell also caused some nerve damage upon his fall and he is now in constant pain. The doctors advised he stay in the hospital so to help manage his pain. Rick reluctantly agreed because he wanted to be aware of things around him and not in a haze of pain. It was a dreary Tuesday afternoon when Kara came to visit Rick. Normally either his mom or his dad would be in the room when Kara arrives and would leave them alone while she visited but when she arrived, they were both sitting in the waiting area just outside the section that held Rick's room. His mother is sobbing uncontrollably in his father's arms and the man seems to be in tears as well. Worried Kara rushed to Rick's room. She found Rick to be asleep. He is paler than ever and there seems to be more wires connected to him than usual. Rick stirred at her entrance.

"Hey Kara. I'm glad you came by. I wasn't' sure if I was going to get a chance to see you again."

The way Rick spoke broke something in Kara. His tone sounded so final. It was so calm and resigned. Kara started to tear up as she approached the bed.

"Oh no pretty girl. Don't cry. I'm going to a place with no pain and I'm okay with leaving. I am a bit sad that I won't get to go to Aspen as my family planned and I won't get to hang out with you anymore."

Kara, at this point, was fully crying and using the sleeves of her cardigan sweater to wipe away her tears.

"Come here Kara. I could use a hug and so could you. Just be "super" careful not to knock off any of the wires they can send out ridiculous alarm. Also please contain the super strength I don't need any broken bones."

Kara gaped at Rick. "You... what? Super strength? What?"

Rick chuckled soundlessly. "Yeah from your stories. You are not very sneaky or subtle and it was easy to piece it all together. It's ok I promise I won't tell anyone. Cross my heart and hope to die!"

Kara couldn't help herself. She closed the gap between them and gave Rick a hearty hug. A few moments pass before she slowly pulled away. "I'm so sorry Rick. I tried to help. I really did but it wasn't enough..."

Kara went on to detail the new treatment procedures they are working on and the new early detection methods that are now in testing.

Rick smiled at her and reached for her hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you Kara. I know you tried to help. You can never know what your friendship these last few months means to me. Getting to know you opened up a completely new universe for me. It gave me hope for the future. Just between us I know Superman may be everyone's favorite alien but to me you are the coolest and most definitely my favorite."

Kara gave him a brilliant smile and pressed a small kiss on his left cheek but before she could say anything else the alarms around him started to go off. Doctors and nurses rushed in along with his parents. Kara was ushered out of the room and she watched from the window facing the room as the medical team frantically moved around Rick's bed. She saw how Mrs. Wilson crumpled to the ground as the doctor pronounced time of death and as the medical team began to turn off the medical equipment around Rick and to leave the family to their grief Kara uttered a soft goodbye to her friend as she too left with fresh tears falling from her eyes.


End file.
